Borussia Dortmund star Jadon Sancho says he is only just getting started after winning the 2019 NxGn award, revealing that his dream is to go on to become the best player on the planet.
On Wednesday, Goal published its annual list of the top 50 Under-19s in the world , with the winger beating Real Madrid sensation Vinicius Junior to top spot after a remarkable year in which he's taken the Bundesliga by storm and broken into the England senior squad.
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"It's a real honour to win this award," Sancho told Goal in an exclusive interview. "There are a lot of great players my age out there and to be chosen the best player of NxGn is really good for me and for my family.
"I’m sure my family will be proud of me, I’m just really honoured. Thank you very much.
"Now I’ve just got to keep working hard. This is not the end of it."
Indeed, Sancho is determined to win the Bundesliga with Dortmund this season, while he is also hoping to help England qualify for next year's European Championship.
However, from an individual perspective, the 18-year-old believes he can one day lift the Ballon d'Or.
"I feel like that should be every player’s goal," he explained.
"Obviously, I dream of winning the Ballon d’Or, given the likes of those who have won it previously, like Leo Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, [Luka] Modric and Ronaldinho.
"All these greats have won it, so I feel like that should be a big inspiration to everyone in the world that plays football."
As his NxGn win underlines, Sancho is certainly on the right track.
After making a name for himself in Manchester City's academy before then helping England win the 2017 Under-17 World Cup, the Londoner moved to Germany in pursuit of regular first-team football.
The gamble paid off, with the £8 million ($10.6m) signing becoming a first-team regular at Dortmund midway through the 2017-18 campaign.
Sancho has since gone from strength to strength and, in January of this year, he became the youngest player in history to score eight Bundesliga goals.
Having now picked up the NxGn trophy, he is hoping the Bundesliga title will be next, with Dortmund level on points with leaders Bayern Munich at the top of the table.
