English talent Jamie Gittens who left Chelsea behind is now flying in Champions League
Jamie Gittens has enjoyed a remarkable rise with Borussia Dortmund since rejecting Chelsea as a youngster.
The English winger is currently making his mark on the biggest stage of club football after coming off the bench to score two late goals for Borussia Dortmund in their 3-0 victory over Club Brugge in the Champions League on Wednesday (September 18).
His impressive performance earned him the man of the match award. Born in 2004, the 20-year-old joined the German giants four years ago after a two-year stint at Manchester City's academy. He made his first-team debut at the age of 18 in 2022 and has since been turning heads across Europe.
Gittens had an extensive academy career that began with his local side Caversham Trents before moving to Reading. The London-born starlet - whose full name is Jamie Jermaine Bynoe-Gittens - spent some time with Chelsea in his young days but chose to reject the Premier League club's offer to continue his development there.
It's certainly been a contrast of fortunes for both parties since opting to decline Chelsea with the youngster firing on all cylinders in Europe's premier club competition. While the two-time Champions League winners are competing in the UEFA Conference League, the third-tier of European competition.
Instead of persevering with the Blues, he stayed at Under-9s level with Reading, where he remained for the next five years, reports the Mirror. After staying with Reading until Under-14s level, Gittens then decided to sign with Chelsea's Premier League rivals City. But after two years in Manchester, he made the bold decision to move to Dortmund, initially joining their youth team.
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Ever since Jadon Sancho's brave decision to swap Manchester for Germany three years before Gittens made the same leap, the 20-year-old has progressed at a rapid rate with the Bundesliga giants. He's since accrued an impressive 63 appearances for the German side along with nine goals and eight assists to date.
Gittens notched up a significant milestone last November when he netted his inaugural Champions League goal in a decisive 3-1 victory against AC Milan, a pivotal moment that ensured Dortmund's progression to the knockout stages of the competition.
The young star experienced the pinnacle of European club football last season, making a brief appearance in the Champions League final where Dortmund fell to Real Madrid 2-0.
On the international stage, Gittens has swiftly advanced through various levels of England's youth squads, currently cementing his status within the U21 team. With seven caps and one goal for the squad following his debut under current interim boss Lee Carsley, it seems only a matter of time before he receives the nod for the senior team.
Gittens was in the Man City academy alongside Chelsea star Cole Palmer, who also departed the reigning Premier League champions and has gone on to become one of the best players in the country. And in a strange coincidence, Palmer has now teamed up with Sancho at Stamford Bridge, following his summer switch from Manchester United.
For Gittens, he faces British opposition next in the Champions League, with Celtic heading to Dortmund on October 1, before a mouthwatering repeat of last season's final at the Bernabeu as Real Madrid await the German giants on matchday three next month.