Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard has revealed he didn’t feel like himself during the first part of the 2019/20 season and says he is determined to finish on a strong note.
Lingard has faced some relentless criticism for most of the campaign due to his substandard performances, with his record in the Premier League not so hot over the last few seasons. However, the England international says he is looking to deliver when football does return.
Speaking on adidas Home Team’s The Huddle, Lingard explained: “You know I wanted to go back in fitter, sharper than last season to play every game. I’ve kind of forgot about last season, we move forward and even though the season’s not finished, I feel like it’s another little fresh start.
“Finishing a season, it feels like a mini-season for me, so to go back in, like I say, flying from the get-go, in which I feel good and then, obviously, for next season to just carry on.
“I have the right attitude, I have the right desire, I have the right hunger to win games to play for United to obviously win trophies which is one of the most important things.
“I think we can get there, we all need to push each other to new heights, day in, day out in training. So I don’t see why we can’t take it into the game too. But trophies are the main thing and individual targets like goals and assists, I have a lot else that I target before the season because I do that anyway but last season, for some reason I didn’t set any targets.
“My mind wasn’t there, I wasn’t really pushing myself. It felt like it weren’t me. You feel like when you watch yourself you’re like ‘that’s not Jesse.’
“I know who I am and my family know who I am, I know how I play and, like I say, I didn’t really push myself last season. So this season I’m gonna have targets, I’m gonna have goals that I need to hit, individually and as a team as well.”
The England international, who’s now 27 years old, has only managed a measly two goals and two assists across 35 games in all competitions this term, so it has been suggested his time at Old Trafford could soon be over – with his contract up in 2021.
January arrival Bruno Fernandes’ superb performances have seen Lingard fall even further out of favour of Ole Gunnar Solskjær but, with the season’s conclusion back on the horizon, optimism is key.
The Premier League is set to resume on 17 June with Manchester United currently sat in fifth place, battling it out with Leicester City and Chelsea.
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