U.S. men's national team star Gio Reyna says that Jadon Sancho told him to take the No.7 shirt from him before he left Borussia Dortmund to join Manchester United this summer.
Reyna discussed the influence that Sancho had on his career, as the young American says that the England winger served as a real mentor for him throughout his rise at Dortmund.
And now Reyna is replacing Sancho as the club's No.7 as the now-Man Utd winger repeatedly told the American that he wanted him to take over the shirt.
What did Reyna say about Sancho?
"He talked to me about it from time to time last season," he told Kicker. "He said that if he should leave the club, I should wear his number."
He continued: "I can't thank him enough for what he's done for me since we've known each other. He told me that from day one I can talk to him at any time if I have a problem.
"And he also helped me on the field by teaching me to believe in myself, to be self-confident and to express that. No matter how young I am, you can be a good player if you believe in yourself.
"He set an example for me."
The influence of Reus and Piszczek
Sancho isn't the only player that has had an influence on Reyna during his first few years at Dortmund.
The American discussed how veterans Marco Reus and Lukasz Piszczek have set the tone for everyone at the club, serving as mentors for the younger players in the team.
"He's an absolute legend at this club," Reyna said of Reus, who competes for minutes with the American in the Dortmund attack.
"I don't necessarily see us as competitors either. Sure, there are certain similarities between us and the way we play.
"To this day, I look up to him and watch things from him. I think it's great that we have him. If you want to say there's a competition between the two of us, then it is very healthy."
On Piszczek, who left the club after over a decade to join his hometown club Goczałkowice-Zdroj this summer, Reyna added: "The way he worked hard on himself day after day as a professional and always pulled the team along was outstanding.
"We all loved him. With his attitude, he was an absolute role model for us."
.jpg?auto=webp&format=pjpg&width=640&quality=60)