Time for Jesse Lingard to be given a chance in Manchester United's first team?

Lingard is an exciting player

Manchester United starlet Adnan Januzaj got his break in the club’s first team after putting in some impressive performances for the youth squad last year but his colleague Jesse Lingard hasn’t been as fortunate as the Belgian. Lingard has been with United since the age of 17 and has put in several astounding performances but is yet to make his debut for the first team.

The 21-year-old midfielder rejected a chance to join United’s arch rivals Liverpool back in 2009 and has been with the Old Trafford club ever since. The England youth international has undeniable talent and was an integral part of Manchester United’s FA Youth Cup winning team of 2011. The youngster showed his quality to David Moyes during Manchester United’s per-season tour of 2013 where he scored four goals in as many games making him the club’s top scorer. Everyone expected Lingard to be included in the first team after his goal scoring exploits but he was sent on loan to Championship side Birmingham City instead.

The youngster literally introduced himself with a bang when he managed to put four goals past Sheffield Wednesday on his debut making him an immediate fan favourite. Lingard ended his Birmingham loan spell with a nice tally of 6 goals and 3 assists from 13 appearances. Lingard had done enough to gain the attention of David Moyes and earned himself a place on the substitutes bench in a match against Swansea in January but remained unused throughout the game.

The youngster played a few games for United’s Under-21 team before the club decided to ship him out on loan to Championship side Brighton and Hove Albion. Lingard took some time to find his feet with his new club but now has 1 goal and 2 assists in 10 appearances.

Now for the main question. Does Jesse Lingard deserve a place in the first team? And the answer is : Yes! He absolutely does. The 21-year-old has been mostly deployed as a forward but is capable of excelling in midfield too. Lingard is a player who loves to dribble, tackle and make key passes which can turn the tide of a game. His pass percentage is very high (85.6) which is a good quality in a youngster.

Another great thing about Lingard is his defensive contribution. The youngster averaged at least 2.2 tackles per game at Birmingham and has averaged 1.8 tackles at Brighton. Lingard is always willing to drop back from the attack and help his team suppress the opposition. United, who have leaked quite a few goals this seasons, are crying out for such players.

If and when Lingard gets his break in United’s first team Moyes must decide where his best position lies. Lingard will have a hard time making it as a forward in the United squad and playing in a number 10 role behind the striker is quite improbable as Mata looks set to make that position his own. Lingard will have battle with Shinji Kagawa for a place in United’s midfield. Kagawa is beginning to combine quite well with Mata but maybe……just maybe Lingard, who is extremely versatile, will do a better job.

The Warrington born attacker will be 22 this December and cannot be playing youth football any longer. Former Fulham manager and ex-Manchester United first team coach Rene Meulensteen was aware of Lingard’s massive potential and made a £5 million bid for the player back in January but the bid was fortunately rejected by United. Paul Pogba, who left Manchester United due to a lack of playing time should be kept in mind if the Old Trafford club choose to hold Lingard back longer.

In an interview on Manchester United’s website, Lingard stated that breaking into the Old Trafford’s club’s first team was his main aim. Let’s hope David Moyes helps this talented young player fulfil his long cherished dream.