West Ham coach Stuart Pearce has said that David Moyes deserves a huge amount of credit for providing Jesse Lingard the environment to thrive. Lingard joined the Hammers on loan from Manchester United in January for the remainder of the Premier League season. The England international hit the ground running with a brace on his debut against Aston Villa, with the 28-year-old continuing his sparkling form throughout his time in London.
Stuart Pearce said: “We were probably a little bit surprised… I was surprised by how quickly he hit the ground running. He had an impact almost immediately.”
Lingard had been out of the team at Manchester United with his career stagnating as he struggled for game time.
Stuart Pearce added: “Jesse hadn’t been playing for a little while at Man United and he was out of the scene. Listen, class is always there. He’s a very classy player, he understands the game very well.”
Lingard’s start to life as a Hammer saw him recalled to the England setup by Gareth Southgate for the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers in the spring and Pearce believes that both Moyes and Lingard deserve praise for his fine form.
Stuart Pearce said: “Physically he’s a fantastic athlete. A lot of credit has to go to the player, but to David as well. David’s got him and playing him in a position that really suited the kid. He thrived on being around the environment that David’s created there.”
Lingard’s Hammers loan spell has drawn to a close and his immediate future is unclear. The 28-year-old was part of Southgate’s provisional 33-man Euro 2020 squad but was omitted from the final party of 26.
