Happy birthday, Jesse Lingard. You’ve been a great servant to Manchester United and will always be fondly remembered by the fans.
Lingard turns 29 today and, while he’s very much on the fringes of first-team action right now, it’s important we remember some of the good times he’s brought to the club.
My favourite memory of Lingard has to be the 2016 FA Cup final against Crystal Palace where he scored an injury-time blockbuster to secure United the trophy.
During the Jose Mourinho years, Lingard became a crucial squad player and was a vital component of the United side that finished second in 2017/18. His solo goal at Watford was one of the highlights of the campaign, though his Milly Rock celebration at the Emirates wasn’t too far behind.
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While there have been plenty of high points in his United career, there’s no doubting he’s gone through some turbulent times as well. He was part of the team that saw Mourinho lose his job, and while he got off to a decent start to life under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, his importance to the side soon started to wane.
Throughout 2019/20 and 2020/21, Lingard struggled for game time under the Norwegian and, although he made a few cameo appearances, it was clear he needed to be given a chance to showcase his talents.
After growing tired of sitting on the bench, Lingard decided the best option for him was to seek a loan move away from the club.
A switch to West Ham United saw him play like the Lingard of old and it looked like he’d rediscovered the confidence that had helped him burst onto the scene at United all those years ago.
Scoring nine goals and bagging five assists in 19 Premier League matches, he was back to his best, with United fans beginning to dream that he could return to the club and have a huge say in their bid for Premier League glory.
Lingard had a successful loan spell at West Ham
Solskjaer has, of course, since been replaced by Ralf Rangnick, and while Lingard is still yet to make a league appearance under the German, his role at the club could now be more important than ever.
When Solskjaer was in the …….