Pascal Gross backs 'brave' youngsters heading to Bundesliga

Sancho has broken into Gareth Southgate’s England squad since joining Borussia Dortmund in the Bundesliga after rejecting a contract with Manchester City.

Fellow teenager Reiss Nelson is thriving on loan to Hoffenheim from Arsenal. Everton’s Ademola Lookman had a profitable period with Red Bull Leipzig and Watford’s on-loan Belgian midfielder Dodi Lukebakio scored a hat-trick against Bayern Munich.

Gross said: “I think for young players to play in the Bundesliga is very good if they get the chance to play there and don’t get the chance here.

Jadon Sancho in action for England

“I think it’s brave step but a really good step, because they are playing at a really high level.

“Players like Reiss and Sancho are playing in the Champions League, the highest level in Europe. They are playing in really good teams in Germany, not small teams, and they are performing.

“So I think they have done everything right. Lookman was at Leipzig and he did well. Lukebakio, from Dusseldorf, is doing well.”

Aaron Connolly, Albion’s prolific Republic of Ireland under-23s striker, has been linked with Hoffenheim.

Gross said: “Every player has to decide his own way. All I could say is what I know about the clubs if he asked me but that’s not my choice, it’s his choice.

“You have to find your away and every way is a different way. For everyone it’s different. He is doing very well.”

Fit-again Gross faces fellow countrymen in Huddersfield manager Dave Wagner and former Ingolstadt team-mates Florent Hadergjonaj and Elias Kachunga in Yorkshire tomorrow.

Albion’s influential number ten returned from nearly three months out with ankle trouble in the 1-1 draw against Leicester’s ten men at the Amex.

Gross said: “It’s the first time as a professional footballer I haven’t been able to play because of an injury.

“It just needed time for the ligament to heal. Now I’m feeling very good and looking forward.”