Jamie Gittens
Borussia Dortmund, 2020-
Jamie Gittens’ star has been shining brightly in the vivid colours of Borussia Dortmund. There was a time when English players abroad were something of a rarity, but in recent years Dortmund alone has been home to some exceptional talent from England. Where Jude Bellingham and Jadon Sancho have blossomed at the Westfalenstadion, Gittens has followed.
Born in 2004 in Reading, he came through the Royals’ academy before moving to Manchester City at Under-14 level. As with his Dortmund teammate, Sancho, he left City as a teenager to sign for the German giants in 2020. A Bundesliga debut and first goal came in 2022, leading to steady progress that has continued into the 2024/25 campaign, where he has notably increased his goal involvements.
Below, our UEFA-licensed coaches have analysed his technical attributes and positional play.
Technical analysis
Jamie Gittens is a right-footed winger who has played on both flanks. His main attribute is dribbling; he consistently attacks opponents with aggressive ball-carrying. He will often purposely take a first touch that has him facing his direct opponent as soon as possible, in a 1v1. When his opponent jumps out to press him, Gittens then has space to attack, taking the ball as close to the opposing penalty area as possible (below).
He epitomises the modern winger, often playing as a wrong-footed wide player close to the touchline and looking to move inside. After receiving, he regularly uses little touches with the laces, carefully pushing the ball forward to creep towards his direct opponent. He will then drive forward with an aggressive change of speed and tempo coupled with a large touch around, across or beyond his opponent. This change of speed helps him break away from full-backs; when needed, he also uses his upper-body strength to hold off his opponent.
By creeping forward with the ball – similar to how Jack Grealish prepares to attack his opponent – Gittens gets into the penalty area frequently, forcing his direct opponent into an uncomfortable defensive position. Unlike some wingers – such as Grealish – he also has the pace to knock and run, beating his direct opponent over a bigger distance with impressive acceleration. That is something he has demonstrated with counter-attacks from deep, as well as against a block.
During or after a dribble or ball-carry, Gittens often has the opportunity to cross for central teammates, combine with short or delicate through passes, or shoot. He has developed his crossing, and shows an improved willingness to use his weaker left foot. With many defenders expecting him to cut inside, he has also utilised a disguised touch across, pushing the ball around the outside of the defender. From there, he can head towards the byline and often still penetrate into the penalty area.
Even on his left foot, Gittens has developed a variety of crossing deliveries. For example, working off movements towards the near post or central spaces, he can drive the ball with speed across the six-yard box (below). He typically uses this delivery after taking a bigger touch to burst past his opponent. Or, after more agile and twisty dribbles – such as when multiple defenders are protecting the space ahead of him – he can deliver a more delicate stood-up delivery for teammates attacking the back post.
His ability to shoot after dropping a shoulder, combined with his dribbling, allows Gittens to work attempts on goal. When finishing, he often looks to find the far side of the goal after cutting inside. He can place bending efforts inside the far post (below), or drive the ball across to the same corner. The timing of his shots after cutting inside is impressive, rarely giving the defender a chance to adjust and block. He can also score with reversed attempts towards the near post – a technique Kylian Mbappé mastered when playing wide left for PSG.
Gittens will also look to get across or beyond his marker with runs off the ball. Being able to attack the far post is crucial for a modern winger, and his off-the-ball movement can provide additional goals, especially when play is worked on the opposite side.
Left-winger
Gittens has been a valuable addition to Dortmund’s wide play, usually from the left side. After 15 rounds of the 2024/25 Bundesliga campaign, he had performed the most dribbles in the division, while the previous season he had the second most dribbles (9.74) per 90 minutes. His ability to carry the ball, beat opponents and penetrate the final third and penalty area has helped Dortmund create regular attacks with quality and purpose.
Under head coach Nuri Sahin in the 2024/25 season, Dortmund have mostly operated in a 4-2-3-1 or 4-3-3, with Gittens holding the width on the left. A changing cast list of full-backs initially supported him underneath, before Ramy Bensebaini became the preferred option at left-back. Bensebaini’s movements inside have given access for passes into Gittens, while also dragging the opposition winger inside. This has reduced back-pressing from those opposition wingers, which has given Gittens more time to attack 1v1 (below).
Opposition teams have been limited in how often they can double-mark or defend Gittens, thanks to the purposeful movements of Dortmund’s centre-forward, number 10 and opposite wide player, as well as runs from deep – usually from one of the pivots. From here, Gittens can excel in 1v1s, with teammates to cross to or connect with. Bensebaini’s slightly delayed underlapping runs – inside or across – have also helped Gittens to cut inside.
Sahin’s predecessor, Edin Terzic, fielded teams with similar structures, deploying a 4-3-3 and 4-2-3-1 as Dortmund reached the 2024 Champions League final. Gittens was again primarily played on the left, holding the width in a front-line trio. The team’s shape was a little more rigid compared with the approach under Sahin, with the wide combinations between full-back and winger more important and frequent along the touchline. The nine and 10 pairing occupied the spaces between the lines, with Gittens combining out wide more. There, he would make use of forward runs from the likes of Ian Maatsen, Bensebaini or Mateu Morey from full-back (below).
Under Terzic, Gittens also combined with passes returned back inside much earlier and more frequently. This came with Dortmund sometimes placing two number eights between the lines; often a forward run from one of the pivots, Felix Nmecha, and the number 10 repositioning in the opposite direction, providing an immediate option for Gittens to combine in the inside channel. This did bring more defenders into key spaces, so that Gittens had to adapt his 1v1 play to tight dribbles and sharp changes of direction. Under Sahin, he has displayed more explosive knock-and-runs over large distances, as well as being less isolated in attack.
Inevitably, given his form and his nationality, transfer speculation has begun about a possible move away from Dortmund. For the time being, though, it would seem the Bundesliga is an excellent place for Jamie Gittens to continue learning his trade.
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