Even before returning to his home city, Borussia Dortmund’s Jadon Sancho had managed to make more headlines after delaying the club’s flight to London when he left his passport at home.

Despite the fevered media focus on the 18-year-old ahead of the Champions League last-16, first-leg tie against Tottenham, Sancho remains relatively unknown in the capital, although that will not last long, particularly if he shows what he is capable of at Wembley tonight.

Sancho has been the breakout star in Europe this season, propelling Dortmund to the top of the Bundesliga with eight goals and 11 assists in all competitions.

Tottenham, of course, know all about him already. In common with every big club in the country, Spurs were interested in signing him when he was forcing his way out of Manchester City in the summer of 2017.

Like Dortmund, they could guarantee him more minutes than in Manchester and, at one point, Sancho even told his advisors he wanted to return home to London and join Spurs. He was presumably attracted by Mauricio Pochettino’s record at playing and improving young English players.

City, however, had other ideas, making it clear that Sancho would not be sold to a Premier League rival and pushing him towards Germany, where the prospect of more money and a well-trodden path to the first team made Dortmund a good fit in an £8million deal.

A few months later, some at Spurs actually wondered if Sancho would fulfil his potential after watching him first-hand in a UEFA Youth League match in November 2017, the afternoon before the senior sides met at Dortmund’s Westfalenstadion in last season’s group stage.

Tottenham’s youngsters won 3-1 and Sancho was anonymous.

But once he had adjusted to life in Germany, Sancho proved himself the brightest talent of his generation and Pochettino claims his form has come as no surprise, having watched him for years before he moved to Germany.

“We knew what he was capable of doing,” said Pochettino. “We were talking in the last few years that he was a massive prospect to be a very good player. [His form] doesn’t surprise me.”

Tottenham had the right idea in trying to sign Sancho before his breakthrough, but their chance has now gone. When, as feels inevitable, he returns to English football or joins a European superpower, he will command an astonishing fee.

With Dortmund’s top scorers Marco Reus and Paco Alcacer both injured, there is more onus on Sancho to perform tonight and if he rises to the occasion it will only increase the hype — something Dortmund are eager to play down.

“I was expecting this question, it was only a matter of time,” said team-mate Thomas Delaney, when asked about Sancho yesterday. “Jadon is a big, big talent. With talent comes opportunities and he has them for sure. But he is still 18-years-old and he has done amazing. He is not where he is supposed to be, he is a rough diamond, but he will get there.

“You [in England] are famous for hyping your players. We try to keep him on the ground because he has a big future in front of him. He will do great things but it takes hard work.”