Former Manchester United midfielder Luke Chadwick has responded to Jesse Lingard’s impressive start at loan club West Ham.
The 28-year-old has struggled for playing time at Man Utd and it remains to be seen if he realistically has a future in Ole Gunnar Solskjaer’s side after falling out of favour and with so much competition for places in that area of the pitch.
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Still, Chadwick rates Lingard highly and was undoubtedly not alone in being impressed with how he’s performed at West Ham, particularly with the two goals on his debut against Aston Villa.
Even if Lingard doesn’t make it at United, Chadwick thinks he could end up being a key player for whichever side he joins, while he also wouldn’t rule out him winning back his place if he can keep up this revival.
“He just needs games,” Chadwick told CaughtOffside. “Everyone knows Jesse Lingard’s a great player and offers loads with his movement.
“He’s at the stage of his career where he needs to play regularly. I know Ole said he hopes to have Lingard back next season, but you do wonder if he’d ever get a regular place in the United team. But if he goes there and scores a lot of goals, we’ll see.
“I think his best position is in the wide areas or in the number ten position where United are already quite strong or might look to strengthen, so it might be the last Old Trafford has seen of Lingard as a United player, but if he keeps on with the form he showed against Aston Villa he’s going to do really well whatever club he ends up playing for.”