Bynoe-Gittens, Dortmund’s latest jewel, extends contract

DORTMUND, Germany (AP) — Five Bundesliga appearances were enough.

Borussia Dortmund has moved quickly to secure the future of Jamie Bynoe-Gittens, the latest exciting young prospect to emerge at the club, after he inspired Dortmund’s comeback at Freiburg on Friday.

The winger came on late and showed no hesitation in running at defenders. Bynoe-Gittens let fly from distance to equalize — his first goal for the club in his fifth league appearance — and he also played a role in the next goal before Dortmund went on to win 3-1.

Dortmund announced Tuesday that it was extending the 18-year-old player’s contract to June 2025, warding off any potential suitors who may have noticed his impact already. His previous deal at Dortmund ran till 2023.

“He has the skills to change games,” Dortmund coach Edin Terzić said of Bynoe-Gittens’ starring role in Freiburg. “He’s a game changer and that’s what I wanted to see from him. Not just that he plays the game, but that he makes the difference. He did that.”

Bynoe-Gittens only turned 18 last week. He joined Dortmund in 2020 from Manchester City, which had coaxed him from Reading in 2018.

Like England forward Jadon Sancho before him, Bynoe-Gittens evidently felt his development was better served at Dortmund than at wealthy City which has seen major competition for places since 2008.

In recent years Dortmund has overseen the development of players like Robert Lewandowski, Christian Pulisic, Mario Götze, Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, İlkay Gündoğan, and Gio Reyna, who’s still with the club.

The London-born Bynoe-Gittens made his Dortmund debut in a 6-1 win over Wolfsburg in April and went on to make three more league appearances for the team last season. He also helped Dortmund’s under-19 side win a German title and was part of England’s under-19 team which won the European Championship on July 1.

Dortmund sporting director Sebastian Kehl praised Bynoe-Gittens’ “exciting development” after the player extended his contract on Tuesday.

“Jamie has always excelled with his speed and creativity, and his unpredictability in one-on-ones brings a very special element to our squad at a young age already,” Kehl said. “It’s fun to see how he works on himself and his game. We are far from seeing the end of this development, we will give him the necessary time for it.”

The player told the Dortmund website he was grateful for the show of faith from the club.

“It means a lot to me,” Bynoe-Gittens said. “It was always my goal to continue on the path I feel has just started at Dortmund.”

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