Jude Bellingham is not the only Englishman who will be eager to impress when Borussia Dortmund face Chelsea at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday evening. In fact, his London-born team-mate Jamie Bynoe-Gittens might be even more motivated.
The winger, a year younger than Bellingham at 18, is not yet a household name in England but he is certainly known to Chelsea – and not just because of his cameo in last month’s first leg. As a boy, he spent time in their academy before opting to join Reading.
From there, his career has followed a similar path to that of Jadon Sancho. England call-ups at youth level; a move from the outskirts of London – in Sancho’s case it was Watford – to Manchester City; then a leap into the unknown with Borussia Dortmund.
The move to Germany came in the summer of 2020, a decision made, like Sancho, with a first-team pathway in mind. Recent evidence suggests it has paid off. Having shone at U19 level, Bynoe-Gittens is now a fully-fledged member of Dortmund’s senior squad.
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Watch Jamie Bynoe-Gittens’ best moments for Borussia Dortmund this season
Marco Rose, the manager who gave him his debut, described him as a “massive talent” last season and current boss Edin Terzic has been similarly impressed, labelling him a “game-changer” after he came off the bench to inspire a 3-1 win over Freiburg in August.
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A shoulder injury kept him out for several months after that but Bynoe-Gittens has made a habit of seizing his chances.
In 12 Bundesliga appearances this season, only three of which have come as starts, he has produced three goals, an assist and plenty more besides, his explosive talent thrilling the club’s supporters.
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There is further evidence of his effectiveness in the numbers.
Bynoe-Gittens ranks behind only Serge Gnabry and Sadio Mane in the Bundesliga for shots per 90 minutes. No player fires more on target. He also ranks in the top five for dribbles. Only Bayern Munich’s Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting is averaging more open-play goals.
Image: Jamie Bynoe-Gittens has impressed in the Bundesliga this season
Dortmund see him as their next big thing and comparisons with Sancho, who joined Manchester United for £73m a year after his arrival, are unavoidable – even if they are not entirely helpful.
“I’m not going to put loads of pressure on him and put it out there that he has to reach those levels,” Rhys Denton, a former coach in Reading’s academy, tells Sky Sports with a smile.
“But it’s clear for everybody to see that he’s a talented player. He’s got that directness, he wants to beat a player and he gets people excited. I don’t think you can put a ceiling on those types of players.”
Bynoe-Gittens spent five years in Reading’s academy, his reputation in youth circles well established by the time he joined City in 2018.
“For a wide player, you’re looking for somebody who can dominate one-v-one and it was clear that he had those traits in abundance, so we tried to encourage him to play with freedom,” says Denton.
“You want those players to have the confidence and feel free to go again, and again, and again, and Jamie was really relentless with it. He wanted to have the ball, he wanted to travel with it and beat players, but he also had a lens on being productive.
“He wanted to score a goal, he wanted to assist his team-mates, he wanted to be that exciting player who got people out of their chairs.”
Image: Jamie Bynoe-Gittens pictured with Borussia Dortmund team-mate Jude Bellingham
He did that a lot in Reading’s academy – “to the staff as well as the players,” chuckles Denton – and, after making the move to City, there was further encouragement to express himself when he was invited to feature in a series of showcase events run by London-based youth football organisation FFDTV in 2019.
“It was easy to see Jamie was a very unique talent,” a source involved in the running of those events, also attended by Chelsea forward Omari Hutchinson and Leeds United midfielder Darko Gyabi, explains to Sky Sports.
“A lot of the boys come from playing 11-a-side with their clubs, but it’s more difficult to shine in our sessions because they are three-v-three, four-v-four matches and the intensity is very high.
“You see it in some of the clips. It’s about skill, about embarrassing people, and playing in the way you feel most comfortable.
“We had guys like Sancho and Callum Hudson-Odoi come through the sessions previously, so Jamie knew he might be compared, as part of the next generation, but I didn’t feel any of that from him.
“He was just fearless. Those sessions are about as close as you can get to street or cage football and he thrives off that. He turned up, had a chat, and enjoyed his football. That’s just what he does.”
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The same source describes Bynoe-Gittens as “down to earth, polite and relaxed” but there is a steely single-mindedness to him too, and a burning desire to succeed which is evident in his decision to move abroad at 16 and embrace the challenges that come with it.
“I think that takes a certain level of maturity,” says Denton. “I think it takes an understanding of what the project you see for yourself is and how you see your game developing.
“I can’t speak any higher of that. In this day and age, especially at youth level, a lot of people look at the flashy boots and all of the gifts that come with football, but how many of them are really planning? How many are really looking in-depth at what is going to help them have a long career?”
Bynoe-Gittens had his objectives in mind from a young age, according to Denton, who describes the youngster as a “student of the game” who spent his free time devouring clips of the players he idolised.
“A couple of pre-seasons ago, a year after he had joined Dortmund from City, I caught up with him to do some training at a performance camp in Bristol where I’d been doing some work,” he says.
“We spent a lot of time in the car travelling down together and during that time he was just looking at clips of players. Older players like Ronaldinho, right the way through to your Jadon Sanchos.
Image: Jamie Bynoe-Gittens joined Borussia Dortmund from Manchester City in 2020
“He’s the type of player who wants to take the best things from the best players and put them into his game in order to make the best of himself. That coupled with some brilliant behaviours – making sure he looks after himself, being well-mannered – and you understand the performances and maturity you’re seeing from him now at such a young age.”
Crucially, Bynoe-Gittens still plays with the same flair and enjoyment as he did in his academy days, and in the small-sided games with FFDTV which helped raise his profile along the way.
That much has been clear with Borussia Dortmund this season.
Consider his goal against Augsburg in January, curled brilliantly into the far corner after a jinking run inside, or his assist against Hertha Berlin, when his clever pass put Julian Brandt through on goal after he had slalomed away from three opposition defenders, all of whom tried and failed to stop him by bringing him down.
Denton, like the rest of the academy staff back at Reading, was watching on proudly.
“We encourage our young players to travel with the ball, to enjoy it, to make sure they are doing special things,” he says. “As you can see now, at the top level, it’s really benefitted his game.
“Not only is he comfortable with the ball one-v-one, but, because of his mentality and his intelligence, he is capable of consistently making things happen.”
The next challenge is to do it at Stamford Bridge on Tuesday.
“It’s the stuff of dreams for somebody from where Jamie is from to be able to play at Stamford Bridge and be part of a big Champions League night,” says Denton. “Hopefully he gets on the pitch, does really well and shows a few clubs over here what he can do.”
Some of them, Chelsea included, need no reminding.
Follow Chelsea vs Dortmund on Sky Sports’ digital platforms from 6.30pm on Tuesday; kick-off 8pm
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