16 April 2023 , 07:00
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Former Manchester United star Jesse Lingard has endured a rollercoaster career so far and now at the age of 30, it looks to be coming to a grinding halt.
A product of the Red Devils’ academy, the forward went on to make over 200 appearances for his boyhood club, winning the Europa League, FA Cup and League Cup during his time at Old Trafford. His standout season no doubt came during the 2017/18 campaign where he notched 13 goals for United under the tutelage of Jose Mourinho.
Since then though, it has been a dramatic decline for Lingard as his goal contributions and opportunities dried up at Old Trafford. He enjoyed a brief renaissance during an electric loan spell with West Ham United as he netted nine goals in just 16 Premier League outings for the Hammers.
But failing to land a permanent switch to the London Stadium stunted his progress though and following another frustrating campaign back in Manchester, Lingard ended his 22-year association with the Red Devils. His next port of call was a surprise move to join newly-promoted Nottingham Forest.
He put pen to paper on a lucrative one-year deal at the City Ground but he has failed to live up to the huge salary handed out to him. Lingard has not scored a Premier League goal for his new employers, whilst his only goal contributions have come in the Carabao Cup - a competition that Forest exited back in January.
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A recent hamstring injury has seen him fall out of favour under Forest boss Steve Cooper. Since the New Year, he has played a total of 58 Premier League minutes, with rising stars such as Brennan Johnson and Morgan Gibbs-White instead becoming the focal points of the attack.
Jesse Lingard is reunited with his former club this weekend (Getty Images)What do you think has gone wrong for Jesse Lingard? Share your thoughts in the comments below
That has seen his future in the East Midlands called into question with his deal set to expire in the summer. Should Forest suffer an instant relegation back into the Championship, it appears unlikely that he will be offered fresh terms.
Speaking in January, Cooper admitted he was keen to see Lingard extend his stay at the City Ground. He said: “We’re really enjoying working with him [Lingard]. How long it will be for – the longer the better, for me. But we don’t know.
“At some stage we’re going to have to have the discussion with him. But the fact he says he’s happy and content pleases me, because that’s always what I want for a player – for their self-worth to be high, because that’s when you get the best out of them. And if we get the best out of Jesse, then we’ve got a good player.”
Whether Cooper remains in the same mindset regarding Lingard’s future remains to be seen, even if the East Midlands side manage to stay up come the end of May. He has also been the target of scathing criticism during his time with Forest so far.
Former Man United star Paul Parker tore into him for “disrespecting” the Red Devils regarding claims he made about his Old Trafford exit. Meanwhile, Simon Jordan suggested that Lingard had “flushed” his career and would only be remembered for “TikTok videos”.
Jesse Lingard has yet to score a Premier League goal this season (Getty Images)Forest play host to Lingard’s former club Man United on Sunday as he faces the club where he spent the majority of his career. The Red Devils are firmly embroiled in a battle to secure a spot in the Champions League ahead of next season, whilst the East Midlands side are desperate to avoid the clutches of the relegation zone.
Dropping into the second tier would surely signal one of the lowest slumps of Lingard’s career in what has been a rollercoaster journey.