Borussia Dortmund captain Marco Reus feels his teammate Jadon Sancho has the ability to emulate Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo and become one of the very top players in the world.

Sancho finished the 2019/20 Bundesliga campaign with a hugely impressive 17 goals and 16 assists from 32 appearances, and the England winger could be every bit as crucial during his third full season as a first-team regular.

The 20-year-old demonstrated as much with a brilliant assist for Erling Haaland’s second goal in the 3-0 win over Borussia Mönchengladbach on Matchday 1, and Reus said it was “great news” that the youngster is still at Dortmund.

“We get a lot of points because of his goals and assists so he’s an important player for us,” Reus told Sky Sports Germany.

“As for whether he becomes as big as the other two [Messi or Ronaldo], we’ll see.

“He needs time and experience, and it will be important how he manages the times when things don’t go so well. But he has the confidence and the quality.”

Both Barcelona legend Messi and Juventus star Ronaldo have been named the best player in the world on multiple occasions, but Sancho – who scored his first goal of 2020/21 in the DFB Cup first round – is used to being compared to the biggest names in football.

Earlier this week Dortmund full-back Thomas Meunier said Sancho reminded him of his former Paris Saint-Germain colleague and French FIFA World Cup winner Kylian Mbappe.

“He always wants to nutmeg you or dribble past you,” the Belgian told BVB TV.“He wants you to know that he’s better than you.

“Mbappe is the same – they are a bit arrogant in the way they play.”