Jesse Lingard has heaped praise on ‘leader’ Cristiano Ronaldo, suggesting he’s learning from the Portuguese in training and during games.
Cristiano Ronaldo’s return to Manchester United was treated with much fanfare, as his signing looked like a step in the right direction for the club. Having recently attracted criticism for his post-match tantrums against Everton, the Portuguese has performed well on the pitch, chipping in crucial goals so far.
Despite many suggesting, his signing has brought additional pressure on Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the 36-year-old has done what he does best, scoring goals and winning games. This mentality from the formidable superstar has rubbed on other players who have been at the club for a long time, namely Jesse Lingard.
The England international was expected to move away from the club to West Ham but eventually decided to stay put and fight for his place under Solskjaer. He has done well in many substitute appearances, famously netting the winner against West Ham in the Premier League a few weeks ago.
If he keeps up his good displays, Lingard is increasingly likely to win his place back in the starting lineup under the manager. However, the attacking midfielder has cited Ronaldo for bringing in qualities that might have been missing in the squad for some time and is generally relishing playing alongside the former Real Madrid star.
Transfer Market Web posted some quotes from Lingard as he praised ‘leader’ Ronaldo for what he has brought to the club since his arrival. The England international praised his effect on the side and hoped would pass on his winning mentality to everyone else so Manchester United could win some much-needed trophies.
Lingard said, “He’s been brilliant — he’s brought so much to the team. He’s brought that leadership factor. He wants to win in training; he wants to win in games — he wants to win trophies. He’s great to be around, to watch what he does, and you can really learn little things off of him.
“He’s one of the best players in the world – to have him back home is perfect for us at the moment. We know that he’ll score goals and win us games.”
Lingard is currently with the England squad for the next World Cup qualifiers and could be in the lineup to face Andorra at the weekend.
