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Leroy Sane started his football education as a toddler when he joined SG Wattenscheid 09 way back in 2001. Four years later, Schalke acquired him and he progressed rapidly through the ranks of the Royal Blues before being sold to Bayer Leverkusen in 2008. However, he returned back to the Veltins-Arena in 2011 before being promoted to the club’s first team three years later.
Since his first team debut against VfL Wolfsburg in April 2014, Sane has made rapid strides forward and has now become an indispensable member for the club’s starting eleven.
He is being touted as the next big thing to come out of Schalke’s academy and could soon become the next big pay check for the Royal Blues as some of the biggest names in European football vie for his signature. If reports are to be believed, Manchester City’s new boss Pep Guardiola got enamoured with the talented youngster during his three years at Bayern Munich and is keen to bring him to the Etihad Stadium this summer.
Sane is one of the most sought after youngsters in world football at the moment.
Playing style
Sane has very unique characteristics. He is very strong on either wing and has pace to burn, but at the same time, he is not limited to running along the touchline and crossing but he can also dribble through the middle and take deeper positions in midfield with equal ease.
Future at Schalke
Having made his first team debut for the Royal Blues in early 2014, the youngster has already become a regular starter for the side. However, his precocious talent has attracted attentions from the major European outfits and it will be hard for Schalke to keep him for long. He will be at Manchester City soon, if rumours are to be believed.
Prospects with the national team
Sane has made three senior appearances for the Germany national team and is likely to serve the reigning world champions for over a decade to come. Mario Gotze has struggled to get sufficient minutes with Bayern Munich, although he has been a regular with the national team. However, if Sane continues his progress at the same clip, Gotze may struggle for minutes with the national team as well.
Resemblance with a football great
It is hard to compare him to anyone, but his versatility on the pitch is similar to none other than Lionel Messi’s.
Achievements so far
- The 20-year-old scored on his first Bundesliga start against Hertha Berlin and he also made a scoring Champions League debut against Real Madrid.
- Sane is the youngest member of the German national team at the 2016 European Championship.
Interesting Facts
- Sane is the son of former Senegal international Souleyman Sane and 1984 Los Angeles Olympics bronze medallist gymnast Regina Weber.
- He has both German and French citizenships and before playing his first competitive international game for Die Mannschaft, Sane could have also opted to play for Les Bleus.
- Sane’s brothers Kim and Sidi are both footballers and they are also on the books of Schalke.
Wasi is a keen fan with loads of knowledge about the game. He has written for some of the world’s leading soccer websites and is a major Barcelona and Pune City FC fan. He loves the Champions League and watches 200+ EPL games & La Liga games per season.