The Manchester United exodus has officially started. First Paul Pogba’s departure was announced, and now Jesse Lingard. We knew both were coming for weeks, if not months, already, but it’s still “news” to see it in confirmed in black and white. Lingard ends a two decade long spell at the club, with the official club statement both alluding to his beginnings at Old Trafford:
An Academy graduate and dyed-in-the-wool Red, Jesse has been with United for over 20 years, having originally joined our Under-9s team in 2001.He was a key member of Warren Joyce’s FA Youth Cup-winning side in 2011, scoring in the first leg of the 6-3 aggregate final victory over Sheffield United. Following various loan spells in the Championship, Jesse made his United debut under Louis van Gaal in 2014 and became a regular presence in the first team the following season.
And the period in which he reached his prime:
Jesse passed the landmark of 100 appearances for the club a year later and enjoyed arguably the best spell of United career either side of Christmas in 2017, netting nine goals across a 13-game period for Jose Mourinho’s side to claim our Player of the Month prize.
Utilised as a no.10, a winger or occasionally a withdrawn forward, Lingard continued to be an important attacking figure when Ole Gunnar Solskjaer took the helm and he bagged a brace as the Norwegian’s spell in caretaker charge got off to the perfect start with a 5-1 win at Cardiff City in December 2018.
We have already covered the end of the Lingard era, the day after United’s final home game this season. Lingard deserved a send-off in the home season finale, and United did him wrong.
The English attacking midfielder can still play, and he showcased that while with West Ham United on loan last season. And according to ESPN that is where he could likely be headed next. It’s just too bad for United that they were so stupid, lazy and incompetent in the way that they handled this.
They could have literally gotten all kinds of money for Lingard in return, on numerous occasions, and now instead they get nothing.
So bad. On so many levels.
Paul M. Banks is the owner/manager of The Bank (TheSportsBank.Net) and author of “Transatlantic Passage: How the English Premier League Redefined Soccer in America,” as well as “No, I Can’t Get You Free Tickets: Lessons Learned From a Life in the Sports Media Industry.”
He has regularly appeared in WGN, Sports Illustrated and the Chicago Tribune, and he co-hosts the After Extra Time podcast, part of Edge of the Crowd Network. Follow him on Twitter and Instagram.