Manchester United youngster Jesse Lingard has been receiving high praise ever since his inclusion in the first team and eventually the starting XI by manager Louis van Gaal, he has even netted his first goal for the first team in the last few weeks at home against West Brom.
It is now from Manchester United’s former first team coach Rene Meulensteen, that the youngster has received his greatest praise.
Lingard the English Iniesta?
The former first team coach claimed that Lingard he sees him as “the English version of Andres Iniesta." Meulensteen told United Review that “He has still got a long way to go but that is the sort of player I see in him."
For a young lad who has yet to even firmly establish himself in the starting XI to be compared to one of the greatest central midfielders of this generation, is some truly incredible praise for him to receive. Lingard himself, however, has not responded to the praise from his former coach.
Lingard’s recent first team form
Jesse Lingard got his chance in the starting XI when new signing Memphis Depay struggled to make any sort of impact in the opening few months at Manchester United and was eventually dropped by his fellow countrymen Louis van Gaal.
Lingard has done very well to be suddenly called into the first team in the manner he has, especially for him to replace a man with so much hype surrounding him like Memphis Depay.
While Lingard has scored his first goal for the club, with a curling effort from just outside the area, and is also looking particularly impressive so far, it is hard to expect too much from the 22-year-old. As he not spent a lot of time in the first team, with all his game time coming from loan spells at; Leicester City, Birmingham, Brighton and Derby County, it is a big step up for him.
However, with Depay back in the side with a goal against Watford and Wayne Rooney and Anthony Martial coming back from injury in the coming weeks, it will be interesting to see if Lingard is truly given a chance to keep his place or whether he will make way for the bigger names.