Jesse Lingard, West HamGetty

Lingard admits to consistency struggles at Man Utd after bright start to West Ham loan spell

Jesse Lingard admits that struggles for consistency held him back at Manchester United, but he believes those issues have been solved after a bright start to his loan spell at West Ham.

Lingard fell out of favour at United after Bruno Fernandes' arrival from Sporting CP in January 2020, and had to be content with a bit-part role under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer until the Hammers came calling in January.

The 28-year-old concedes that he failed to deliver the goods on a regular basis at Old Trafford, but feels that he is now building up a rhythm at the London Stadium.

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What was said?

“I’m obviously really enjoying my football and I’ve settled in really well and the lads have taken to me really well,” Lingard told West Ham's official website.

“I’ve come here to play football week-in, week-out and that’s what I’m doing. Playing football makes me happy and when we win and play like we did on Sunday [when Lingard scored in a 2-1 victory over Tottenham], nothing can top that.

“It’s about doing it consistently and that’s maybe where I’ve struggled before, doing it consistently in games, but I can feel now I’m coming to an age where I can keep that consistency and focus and concentration coming into games and playing games week-in, week-out which I haven’t been used to.”

Lingard's resurgence at West Ham

David Moyes has wasted no time integrating Lingard into his line-up at West Ham, with the midfielder starting in all four of the club's most recent Premier League fixtures.

The 24-cap England international scored a stunning brace on his debut in a 3-1 win at Aston Villa on February 3, and netted the winning goal in the Hammers' 2-1 London derby victory over Tottenham on Sunday.

Lingard will likely retain his place in Moyes' starting XI when West Ham take in a trip to the Etihad Stadium to face runaway Premier League leaders Manchester City this weekend.

The bigger picture

No option to buy was included in the agreement which saw Lingard join the Hammers in the winter transfer window, but Moyes has suggested that his loan move could be made permanent if he continues to perform at a high level until the end of the season.

Competition for places in midfield at United has only increased this season, and Lingard's current contract is due to expire in 2022, with it reported that the club could cash in on the playmaker this summer.

Moyes said earlier this month: "The situation here is Jesse's going to get a good chance to look at West Ham, see what he thinks of us and whether he likes it, and we'll get a good look at Jesse and decide what we think in five or six months' time."

Further reading

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