Still maintain Jesse Lingard should have left but he will have his moments, claims Gary Neville
Jesse Lingard has made 214 appearances for Manchester United
|Manchester United legend Gary Neville is surprised that Jesse Lingard stayed at the club beyond the summer transfer window but believes that the attacker will have moments where he thrives. The 28-year-old has struggled for minutes over the last few years and was touted to leave this summer.
Following a very impressive loan spell at West Ham United, many expected Jesse Lingard to re-sign for the Hammers on a permanent move this summer. However, with the Hammers unhappy at Manchester United’s asking price, no move took place and Lingard was left at Old Trafford. But despite all that, the 28-year-old has managed to get a fair amount of game-time this season, making four appearances so far.
Not only that, Lingard has scored twice, in the Premier League, and has the prospect of regular game time for the Red Devils even if his future is up in the air. However, despite that, Gary Neville has admitted that while he believes Lingard should have left Old Trafford this summer, the attacker will still have “his moments” where he thrives. The Manchester United legend also added that Lingard could benefit from playing regularly but at the same time, the club are better for keeping.
"I still maintain he should've left but he will have his moments. I was happy to see how he bounced back after what happened in Europe in midweek. To bounce back and score the winner is a fantastic moment for him,” Neville told Sky Sports.
“He's got good character, he's a very good player and I feel he should be playing 40-45 games a season. He won't get that at United in terms of 90-minute starts but he's one of those players that I do feel United will benefit from having. I just thought for Jesse himself, he should've left. United could be a better team with someone like Lingard in it."
