Manchester United’s rich history is littered with tales of home-grown stars done good, with a remarkable conveyor belt of talent having ticked over through the Busby Babes, into the Class of ‘92 and beyond. Where there was once Duncan Edwards, David Beckham and Gary Neville, there is now Marcus Rashford, Scott McTominay and Jesse Lingard.
That may not be the case for long, though, as one Warrington native is preparing to pack his bags once more. With a lucrative contract at Old Trafford running down towards free agency, an England international playmaker is ready to roll metaphorical dice.
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Such an approach to future planning has become commonplace in modern football, with calculated gambles taken by those that consider grass to be greener on the other side. It may not be, but you will never know unless a fresh start is embraced. Lingard is ready to bid farewell to his Lancashire roots and cross a bridge to the other side. He is taking a risk, but sometimes it is better to speculate in order to accumulate. Taking the plunge is never easy, with sports stars having reputations to consider across all manner of platforms. Football now figures prominently in just about every walk of life and reputations can be enhanced and destroyed by one questionable call – such as a change of scenery.
Supporters want to be associated with their favourite performers at all times, which is mainly done through the gaming industry. Simulator gamers look to pack the best talent available, while console gamers step into their idol’s football boots for a game, and even some online casino offers allow fans to interact with the sport in different ways, with games like Football Studio at Plaza Royal or betting markets from CasumoVirtual. It has become clear that favouritism is now as important as real-world standings, so if a beloved player is considered to be a turncoat, it could affect more than just the fans’ opinions.
Right choice?
The obvious question facing Lingard and those he continues to rub shoulders with in Manchester is whether or not the right choice is being made by all concerned. Having found regular game time hard to come by under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick, has the time come for a talented midfielder to spread his wings? He is deserving of a more prominent
role than he enjoys at present. A loan spell at West Ham last season proved as much, with the Hammers still keen on putting a reunion in place. Newcastle also have the cash to splash and can be expected to come back into the picture over the summer if they can successfully plot a course to Premier League survival.
Are Manchester United making a mistake in allowing Lingard to leave for another in east London or the Northeast? Should more of an effort have been made to keep a local academy graduate happy?
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Competition for places is fierce at the Theatre of Dreams, but questions are being asked of how long the likes of Paul Pogba, Donny van de Beek and Juan Mata will be sticking around. Lingard could have helped to fill those voids. A parting of ways is, however, now inevitable, with an unsuccessful push for the exits in January set to be followed by a lunge through them in the summer.
Lingard has not always been a model of consistency for the Red Devils, but he has taken in over 220 appearances for the club and may leave United living to regret their decision to let him slip the net if talismanic displays can be put in elsewhere.
