Jesse Lingard’s return from the ruins is one of the stories of this year and his incredible form for West Ham earned him two call-ups to Gareth Southgate’s England set-up.
The 28-year-old’s career looked to be hanging in the balance prior to his temporary move to London, but after scoring 9 goals and assisting a further 5, Lingard has enjoyed a career-best half-season under David Moyes.
Lingard was one of six Manchester United players to be named in Southgate’s provisional 33-man squad for this summer’s European Championships but was snubbed at the 11th hour just 10 days before the start of the tournament.
“It was emotional. You’re sad and you’re down, but you’ve got to respect the manager’s decision,” Lingard told Sky Sports on not making the final 26-man squad.
“Me and Gareth have a great relationship, and now it’s about supporting the boys. I love watching England – I’m a fan myself. I enjoyed going to the beer garden to watch the first game.
“Last year, November time, I think no one thought I’d get near the team. But I worked hard, did well on loan and England came knocking.”
Instead, the midfielder is spending the summer with his family and is set to return to Manchester United, where he will seek talks with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer over his future. West Ham are said to be interested in bringing him back to the London Stadium, but could be priced out of a move by United.
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