How Renato Sanches has rejuvenated his career at Lille

Golden Boy 2016 winner Renato Sanches burst onto the scene after an exceptional debut season with Benfica, while his exploits in helping guide Portugal to their first major trophy in their history over the summer of the same year only further enhanced his budding reputation.

With the world at his feet, Sanches embarked on the prestigious honour of joining Bundesliga champions Bayern Munich for a fee in the region of 35 million euros, where most who had the priviledge of watching him during his time in Lisbon expected him to have a significant, and potentially immediate, impact.

However, a tough stint with the German giants ensured that there were a growing number of football fans across the continent beginning to question whether he would live up to expectations, casting doubt on his chances of continuing to play at the highest level throughout his career.

An even more disastrous loan spell at Premier League strugglers Swansea City only further fuelled the narrative that Sanches was destined to be another highly promising player that was vastly overhyped, his perceived ability outweighting his actual quality.

But Sanches has defied his doubters, and has proven yet again that one should not be too quick to write off young players experiencing difficult spells in their careers, and his ability to bounce back from adversity is highly encouraging. Still just 23 years of age, Renato is thriving at Lille, is back in the Portugal national team, and looks like he is fully enjoying his football yet again.

In the eyes of many English football fans, that time at Swansea has permanently scarred their opinion of Renato Sanches, who will forever be seen as the player who promised so much, but flopped so indisputably, and it will take an insurmountable amount of success for their opinions to shift at all.

However, despite the refusal of some to accept that he is actually a top-class footballer, Sanches, showing the energy, directness and quality on the ball that made him such an accomplished box to box midfielder while playing for Benfica - in addition to the same work rate to contribute to both the attacking and defensive phases of play - has played a massive role in helping Lille make a highly promising start to the current season, while his passing range and dribbling prowess to carry the ball forwards and spark attacking chances have consistently been on show and continues to make him an all-round quality midfielder.

Similarly, his combination of elegance on the ball and physicality that was witnessed during his time at Benfica are back on show in France, ensuring that he is rarely dispossessed and more often than not makes the correct decision at the right time, releasing the ball for his teammates at opportune moments to recycle the ball or trigger successful attacking opportunities.

On the well-established website WhoScored.com, when starting in central midfield, Renato Sanches has been given an average rating of 7.33 over 7 matches, which is testament to the continued high performance level that he has been producing week in, week out.

Sanches was even named in France Football’s best XI of the first quarter of the Ligue 1 season, alongside fellow Portugal international Jose Fonte.