Tuesday will mark a special occasion for former Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard. Although he left the club under a grey cloud in the summer, it will be an emotional moment for the Nottingham Forest star as he will return to where his football career started.
It will be Jesse Lingard’s first time coming up against Manchester United since leaving Old Trafford in the summer.
After making 232 appearances for the Red Devils, registering 35 goals and 21 assists, he will always look back at that period as the pinnacle of his career — even if it had more lows than highs.
Lingard won the Europa League, FA Cup and EFL Cup during his time at United.
However, he left the club when his contract expired and decided to join Nottingham Forest on a one-year deal. He has since gone on to score two goals in 15 matches – both has yet to find the back of the net in the Premier League for his new club. United fans will hope that doesn’t change on Tuesday night when Forest come to Old Trafford.
Forest manager Steve Cooper acknowledged that the club will be ‘important’ for Lingard, but he doesn’t believe the player requires any extra motivation to perform against his former club.
Speaking to reporters on Friday, Cooper said (via Manchester Evening News): “I hope we’re all motivated to go to Old Trafford and play well. Jesse was there a long time so it will be an important day for him.
“At the same time he and everybody else need to focus on what we are in control of and that is the performance. Whatever team we decide to go with, the guys that start the game and the guys that finish the game have to concentrate on what it takes to do well on the day.
“Jesse has experience, he’s played in big occasions before and he’ll know that the best thing to do is to concentrate on the football. If he’s selected to play that’s what he needs to do.”
United have not played Forest since 1999 – so it will be a special occasion for the travel fans too. It has been a while since they’ve been at Old Trafford and many will be shocked to see that it still looks the same.
