Jesse Lingard shone on his debut for West Ham United on Wednesday, with the 28-year-old scoring twice in against Aston Villa.
The Manchester United midfielder joined the Irons on loan on deadline day after failing to break into Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's team, and it did not take long for Lingard to make his mark at his new club.
There were plenty of doubters when Lingard moved to West Ham, with many claiming that he does not have the ability to perform at the highest level after his struggles at Old Trafford, yet he proved them wrong immediately.
He linked up very well with Michail Antonio and Said Benrahma, scoring the two goals that won West Ham the game against Villa.
This change of scenery might prove to be vital in his attempts to try and secure a regular spot in the England squad once again, with the Englishman having a very tough time on a personal level recently.
Ian Wright apparently saw this regeneration in form coming whilst speaking on his podcast Wrighty's House last week.
The former Arsenal forward backed Lingard's decision to move to West Ham, saying that he would be great if he goes away from the pressures of playing for United for a while.
"If it is West Ham then he's going into a team that is playing with a lot of confidence".
"He's going to play for a West Ham, you do a couple of things right there and them fans are fantastic. I only went there for a little while, but they see that you’re committed then you’re in."
"I can’t wait to see him play without the pressure of United on his shoulders. 28 in football, especially for him, he’s not injury-prone, we’re talking about someone who’s very fit."
"The only thing that is missing from Jesse Lingard to get back to where he was, is confidence. Love him again, so we can see him dancing, doing his thing."
"A lot of what Jesse gets negativity coming towards him for…He’s got what Paul Pogba’s got. They’ve got vibe, they’ve got swag, they’ve got sauce."
West Ham failed to sign a striker during the January transfer window despite selling Sebastien Haller to Ajax, leaving them with just Antonio as their natural forward. However, Lingard's versatility might allow Moyes to play the Englishman up front as well.
Lingard was the star man for West Ham against Aston Villa, earning a 9.0 match rating from WhoScored.
West Ham's next Premier League game is away against Fulham which could spell another game for Lingard to flourish in.
Comments