“?Bayern Munich defender Jerome Boateng has issued a stark warning to Manchester City youngster Leroy Sane, telling the £37m winger that he won’t necessarily get the time he needs to settle in properly before the media is on his back asking questions.
Sane arrived at the Etihad Stadium from Schalke in August and has only been seen sparingly in his first two months with the club, appearing almost exclusively from the bench so far.
For most players of 20 years of age that wouldn’t usually be considered particularly out of the ordinary. But given the price tag and the reputation Sane brought with him, people might expect more from him sooner than he is ready to consistently deliver.
“In England, you have to perform immediately,” Boateng explained to SportBild.
“The reality is you really need time to adapt to the different type of football. But you don’t get a honeymoon with the English media, who are immediately on your back. It isn’t easy for players.”
Boateng knows it more than most. Although now considered one of the best defenders in world football, the former Hamburg star struggled during his sole season in England.
Despite arriving for more than £10m in the summer of 2010, he managed just 16 Premier League appearances – his chances of a strong start were hampered by injury – before heading back to Germany and into the arms of Bayern only a year later for around the same price.
Boateng was still three months shy of his 22nd birthday when he first arrived in Manchester, slightly older than Sane is now.
“Some can handle criticism a bit better, but others say: ‘What am I doing here?’,” he added.
“Everything is terrible, even the weather.”
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