Jesse Lingard’s loan spell at West Ham was an undoubted success for all three parties involved. The Hammers were given a boost in their bid for European football, Lingard got the regular first-team action he desired and Manchester United saw their player’s value rise and confidence return.
Ole Gunnar Solskjaer said: “We lacked some options at times [last season]. Jesse is in the plans at the moment.”
Having scored nine goals and assisted four in his 16-game spell at West Ham Lingard was full of praise for his spell at the London Stadium.
Jesse Lingard said: “It was a great time. It was like hitting the refresh button. I was always ready to hit the ground running and I was always fit and ready to play. I played every game since I got there and when you play a run of games like that you get a bit of confidence. Of course, the goals came and assists as well. West Ham were brilliant with me: the team, the staff, the club. They helped me get to where I am but it took a lot of hard work from my side as well.”
Before joining West Ham, Lingard set himself a list of individual targets and was able to hit a number of them. One of the biggest disappointments for the Manchester United player was failing to make it into Gareth Southgate’s Euro 2020 squad, but making it back into the England set-up prior to the tournament was a huge achievement for the 28-year-old.
Jesse Lingard said: “At the time, it [one goal] was obviously to make the March internationals [with England]. Goals, assists, take-ons, shots. To be productive in each game and to keep that consistency. The consistency is definitely a main thing. When you’re playing regular football, you’ve got to keep that consistency and keep scoring, or try and affect the game in a different way if you don’t score or assist.”
For now, Lingard is set to remain with Manchester United but whether he will see the regular football he so desperately craves is another thing. Since his departure from West Ham, Lingard has returned to Old Trafford and seen Solskjaer bring in Jadon Sancho, which will add further competition for places in the attacking-midfield roles. Lingard has just 12 months left on his contract at Manchester United and if he fails to break into the team, West Ham may well revive their interest in the England man in a bid to boost their own attacking options.
