Jadon Sancho sent a heartfelt message to Southampton midfielder Romeo Lavia following Manchester United's 1-0 victory over Southampton on Saturday.
Erik ten Hag's men took home three points from Saint Mary's in their Premier League clash against The Saints, with Bruno Fernandes scoring the only goal of the game.
18-year-old midfielder Romeo Lavia started the game for Ralph Hasenhuttl's side and impressed despite the loss.
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He has played every minute of football for the South coast team this season following his move from Manchester City earlier in the transfer window.
The midfielder spent two years in the City academy after moving to England from Belgium in 2020.
His move to Southampton is not too dissimilar to another former City starlet who left the club in order to establish himself at the top level.
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Sancho left Pep Guardiola's side in 2017 and joined Borussia Dortmund for £18 million.
He registered 50 goals and 64 assists in four campaigns in yellow and black before joining Manchester United last summer.
After battling it out against Sancho on Saturday, Lavia took to Instagram to post an inspiring image.
It was a comparison from 2017 and 2022, where Lavia was pictured with Sancho as a fan following his move to Dortmund.
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The winger was alongside a young Lavia and his brother, whilst the midfielder was holding up Sancho's new no.7 shirt at the Bundesliga club.
Next to that, was an image of the two in action in the Premier League on Saturday.
It was an example of how far Lavia has come during that time and Sancho acknowledged that hard work as he shared the story with a message.
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Sancho wrote: "5 years later. You stuck to your dream and believed in yourself, that's inspiring to see,
"Keep doing your thing bro, the world is at your feet,
"Very special player."
The 18-year-old will be ecstatic with the praise from a player who was in a very similar situation to him at his age.
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Sancho will be hoping to make an impact in United's next fixture against Leicester City on Thursday evening.
Topics: Manchester United, Jadon Sancho, Premier League, Southampton, Romeo Lavia, Football
Cain Smith