Jesse Lingard: An ode to the resurgence of the Englishman
Until his January move to West Ham, Jesse Lingard was omnipresent in trolls and meme pages. Before Manchester United loaned him out, he was considered a mediocre footballer wrongly celebrated by pundits and media alike in his budding years. Constantly benched at United, it seemed Lingard was bound to be forgotten, and a comeback seemed almost impossible.
But as the 2020-21 season is about to reach its climax, Lingard is making headlines for the right reasons. His transformation has been so sudden it has taken the footballing world by storm.
A year ago, it was clear that the once-celebrated Englishman won’t be a part of England’s Euro Cup plans. However, the pandemic has indeed served as a blessing in disguise for Lingard. It took only half a year for him to resurrect himself from the role of a Manchester United reject to a probable starter for the England squad.
A career redefining loan move to West ham at the start of this season was how all the perceptions about the player changed. His first game after joining the hammers was against his old side, Aston Villa, and he burst onto the scene scoring a brace. It was just a premonition of what he would bring to the West Ham side: quality and assurance. He struck an exceptional partnership with Jarrod Bowen up front, being both provider and the scorer.
Soon, the footballing world realized Lingard was not the player he used to be. His return to form and to the limelight is almost fairytale-like in its suddenness.
As the season progressed, Lingard molded himself to be the most important player for West ham. David Moyes, who was well aware of Lingard’s strengths and weaknesses, was key to his fantastic form which kept on improving match after match.
He was Messi-Esque against Wolves, making marauding runs in between the backline and effortlessly breezing past a crowd of yellow jerseys. Against Leicester, he provided them with much-needed certainty on the frontline. Even in the recent defeat against Newcastle, when all that was bad about West Ham was exposed, Lingard stood tall, calmly converting from the penalty spot.
Hammers within touching distance of Champions League qualification
Jesse Lingard has started ten games for West Ham so far, scoring nine goals and assisting four. In his last three games, he has contributed five goals - which ensured that the Champions League hopes of the Hammers stay alive.
West Ham sits 4th in the Premier League table, only a point behind third-placed Leicester. If Lingard can keep his current form going, a top-four finish and Champions League qualification won't just remain a pipe dream for the hammers.