By Royals appointment, one of Europe’s best dribblers

A coaching revolution at Reading laid the platform for Borussia Dortmund’s 20-year-old winger Jamie Gittens to turn heads with his performances, writes Richard Edwards

- Richard Edwards

Some footballers have a happy knack for being in the right place at the right time.

It’s a trait that English winger Jamie Gittens has demonstrated throughout Borussia Dortmund’s Champions League campaign, and one that has now made him a top transfer target, as some of the Premier League’s biggest clubs look to lure him home.

The boy from Berkshire scored four goals in the extended group stage, including one against Real Madrid at the Bernabeu in a 52 defeat to Jude Bellingham’s side back in October.

It’s not just his goal contributions that have stood out, either. The 20-year-old’s assists from either flank have proved an equally potent weapon for the German side. And according to stats website whoscored.​com, Gittens has completed more dribbles than any other player in Europe’s top five leagues this season, ahead of the first leg of Dortmund’s Champions League play-off tie against Sporting this evening.

However, had he not found himself at Reading as the club pioneered a coaching revolution, it’s hard to predict where Gittens might have ended up.

“He first came to us in the 2011-12 season,” says Reading’s head of academy recruitment Brendan Flanagan.