“He wanted to get back to Manchester United just to see Ronaldo in real life” - Jesse Lingard labeled ‘disrespectful’ by ex-Red Devils hero

Manchester United legend Paul Parker has slammed former United forward Jesse Lingard, who previously played with Cristiano Ronaldo at the club during the 2021-22 season.

Lingard is currently without a club after his contract with Nottingham Forest ended last summer. Despite trials with West Ham United and Al-Ettifaq, the former England international's future remains uncertain.

Parker has now expressed doubts about Lingard's ability to fit into top-tier clubs while criticizing his attitude and labeling him as ‘disrespectful’. The legendary defender said to SpiXperten (via GOAL):

“It´s a gamble for any club to take Jesse Lingard. He is not good enough to play for Barcelona, everyone knows that. He has let himself down with the West Ham situation.

"I think he wanted to get back to Man United just to see Ronaldo in real life. He decided to act disrespectful to Nottingham Forest as well. He virtually went there just to chill and he never proved himself."

Paul Parker touched upon Lingard's links to Everton, saying:

“If Everton decides to buy him, I expect them to have a clause where they can terminate the contract if he doesn't live up to the expectations. Everton is not an easy club and he really needs to prove to the fans that he is there for the right reasons and not for showboating. He needs to stop everything that he usually does."

The former Manchester United defender added:

"Ashley Young might help him in terms of calming him down. He is a good role model and maybe he should have been his agent during the summer when he tried to get the move to Saudi Arabia with all the money, which didn't turn out well.”

Lingard made 232 appearances for the Red Devils before he left Old Trafford on a free transfer. However, his prospects in football are uncertain after failing to meet expectations at Nottingham Forest. He registered two goals and two assists in 20 games for the Tricky Trees.

While a move to Everton could be on the cards for him, he could end up at another club, even leaving Europe entirely.

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Cristiano Ronaldo's words will warn Karim Benzema about Manchester United move

Real Madrid legend Karim Benzema is currently playing for Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League, alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, who plays for Al-Nassr.

However, according to Javier Parra Pena (via Sport Bible), Benzema is considering a move to Manchester United. This comes after his successful stint in Saudi Arabia, where he scored 15 goals in 24 appearances.

Benzema has had disciplinary issues at the club, failing to turn up for training, and has been banished from the first team by manager Marcelo Gallardo (via GOAL). This has helped to fuel rumors about a potential return to Europe, especially if the Red Devils make their move for him.

However, Benzema could take heed to his former teammate Cristiano Ronaldo's words about Manchester United's manager Erik ten Hag before making a decision.

Ronaldo openly criticized Ten Hag during an interview with Piers Morgan in November 2022, saying:

"I don't have respect for him [Ten Hag] because he doesn't show respect for me. If you don't have respect for me, I'm never gonna have respect for you."

This tell-all interview notably led to the Portuguese legend's exit from Manchester United, as his contract was terminated and he joined Al-Nassr.