Reiss Nelson Reveals Fellow Bundesliga Youngster Convinced Him to Complete Switch to Hoffenheim
Arsenal loanee Reiss Nelson has revealed that fellow England prodigy Jadon Sancho convinced him to take the leap and go on loan to Hoffenheim in order to kick-start his career abroad.
The Gunners' winger scored for the second time in two games when he dispatched an exquisite free-kick on his full England Under-21 international debut on Tuesday against Scotland, after impressing in three Bundesliga outings, netting twice off the bench.
Sancho, who signed for Dortmund last season, is good friends with the Arsenal academy graduate and was adamant his fellow winger would flourish in Germany.
"Jadon knows I like one against ones, he knows I'm a fast player and said there were a lot of those opportunities," Nelson said in an interview with the Daily Mail. "We've got a lot of similarities so he said I should go over there and that's how I can show my brilliance."
Borussia Dortmund starlet Sancho has received continued recognition for his impressive displays at the Signal Iduna Park, culminating in the 18-year-old's senior international debut in Croatia last week.
Nelson found games hard to come by during his first year at Die Kraichgauer, and the youngster's family have all moved close to Hoffenheim's base to counter any potential loneliness.
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"I've a really tight family," he added. "We're taking life as it is in England - my mum (Jackie), my sister (Tessa) and my brother (Ricky).
"We all made that decision together and they thought it best to come over and help me during my time over there. It's helped me, 100 per cent. My mum's cooking has been great!
"Luckily for me loneliness isn't an issue. There are boys over there who will say "come over Reiss, I've got nothing to do," so I do see the down side sometimes.
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"Sinsheim is a little village where everyone loves football. If you go out to Heidelberg, where I'm living, it's a bit more like a city and we can go out as a family. It's not just training then home.
"They're loving it to be fair, treating it like a holiday. I come home from training and they're not even there, in the middle of Frankfurt doing a bit of shopping."
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Nelson also relies on advice from the likes of Alexandre Lacazette and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang, remaining in regular contact with some of the senior stars at Arsenal.
The 18-year-old said: 'You'd have Lacazette, Hector Bellerin, Aubameyang and Henrikh Mkhitaryan all there taking free-kicks after training. We used to have a bet on who could take the best.
"They've all taken me in as a youngster, helped me into the player I am today by giving me that confidence and a lot of encouragement. They are great guys, always there if I want a quick chat."
