Sander Berge shocked the soccer world late last month when, despite being sought after by many of Europe’s elite, he decided to sign for Sheffield United. A newly-promoted side, United has vastly surpassed expectations sitting in sixth place, perched in between Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester United in the English Premier League standings. Breaking their transfer record to sign Berge was a real signal of their intent.
After starring during the group stage of the Champions League, which saw his Genk side eliminated from a tough group featuring Liverpool and Napoli, Berge leaving Belgium seemed inevitable. Without the allure of Champions League soccer, Berge had outgrown Genk and the Belgian league, and it was time for him to move on to a bigger challenge.
But, rather than opting for one of the more glamorous clubs where he could have been paid more handsomely, Berge opted for United, where his odds of landing a regular first-team role were far higher than at some of his bigger suitors like Tottenham, Sevilla or Arsenal. Just two days after his signing, the 21-year-old Norwegian made his debut as a starter and played an impressive 68 minutes for the Blades.
Berge’s decision to choose a club that guaranteed him a spot in the starting 11 follows those made by the likes of Jadon Sancho and Erling Haaland and it’s an encouraging trend for young soccer players.
After impressing in the Manchester City youth set-up, where he signed on at 14, Sancho left the club in 2017 after failing to get playing-time assurance. He moved to Borussia Dortmund, a club renowned for their willingness to give young players a chance, and has seen his career take off. Rather than going to Real Madrid, Barcelona or staying at City, Sancho valued getting experience by playing at a high level in a competitive league. Now, despite only being 19, Sancho has made over 60 league appearances in the German Bundesliga and has been capped 11 times by his country while cementing his status as the world’s best teenage player.
Contrast Sancho’s last couple of years with those of Phil Foden, his ex-teammate on the Manchester City youth team. The duo was considered the most promising English youth product, but while Sancho left to pursue first-team football, Foden stayed at City. Despite Pep Guardiola’s frequent praise, Foden has spent most of his time languishing on the bench. He’s started just five champions league games and has yet to be called up to Gareth Southgate’s England side.
Recently, teenager Erling Haaland joined Sancho at Dortmund amidst interest from Manchester United and Juventus and has already scored seven goals in his first three games. It’s a win-win situation for both club and player. The players get first-team soccer while improving on their game by playing at a high level, while the club reaps the benefit of having talented players and makes a healthy profit when they sell a more finished product to the bigger clubs in Europe.
Just as Sheffield United capitalized on Berge’s desire to play in a top league, other mid-level sides in Europe’s bigger leagues would do well to act as a stepping-stone for young players.
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