Berlin, Nov 27 (IANS): It might have been one of the best decisions for the young Jamie Bynoe-Gittens to skip his cricket ambitions and turn to football.
Due to his father's background, cricket dominated family life as the Barbados-born father had been a cricket player. "I tried a little bit," the 19-year-old Dortmund winger said but admitted: "Football worked much better for me," reports Xinhua.
At an early age, the striker fell in love with football simultaneously in the backyard of his school "when 50 of us kids ran around doing all sorts of tricks," and on the pitches of his local club, Caversham Trents.
His striking talent made him find his way to the youth academy of the Citizens and in 2020 to Borussia Dortmund.
Ahead of the Black and Yellows UEFA Champions League encounter in Milan this Tuesday evening, the London-born attacker has become a vital force for the German side. "To join a German club provided the chance to play in a European top league in the first team," his father Mike revealed.
In the recent league encounter against Moenchengladbach, he pushed the game in his team's favor scoring the 3-2 after the BVB had to make up for a 2-0 setback. Not to speak of his assist allowing Niclas Fullkrug to score the 2-2 equalizer.
Ahead of the delicate duel against the Italian side in the Champions League, Dortmund's hopes rest on the shoulders of the youngster.
Having to deal with various ups and downs this season, doors to the knock-out stage seem open in case of a victory in Italy.
Having performed perfectly in the defense over the recent Champions League games made the BVB take the group lead. To have only scored three goals might be a reason for concern and turns the issue in Milan into a special task for the Englishmen.
At present, the youngster stands for the team's resilience and determination. His starting eleven appointment against Gladbach is said to have delivered a motivation boost after weeks of acting as a valuable substitute.
Youthful nonchalance and an irresistible speed seem exactly what is needed to make Dortmund turn things for the better as inconsistency in the league is creating disappointment.
Injury problems of striker rivals such as Karim Adeyemi and Sebastien Haller put Bynoe-Gittens into the limelight.
The youngster's upswing seems to come at the right time and is seen as the next step in his development.
Edin Terzic called his striker a game-changer "as he has the speed to turn games with his actions." The Dortmund coach said the club's faith in the striker made the BVB offer a contract until 2025. "We knew about his skills and are happy he made an important step for a breakthrough," Terzic added.
The club's fans now hope the forward can develop into a second Jude Bellingham as the 20-year-old had turned into the team's leading force in the previous season before joining Real Madrid.