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Ex-Ireland forward claims Jesse Lingard could be a POTY contender

by Jeff Simon
Jesse Lingard

“He’s been unbelievably exceptional.”

Former Republic of Ireland forward Tony Cascarino believes that Jesse Lingard could emerge as a contender for the Player of the Year award if he continues in his rich vein of form.

Lingard joined West Ham United on a six-month loan spell from Manchester United in January. The Englishman has managed to hit the ground running at his new club with his impressive performances.

jesse Lingard

Jesse Lingard.

Lingard emerged through Man Unitedβ€˜s youth academy after joining the club aged seven. He progressed through the ranks before making his competitive debut for the team against Swansea City in the Premier League in 2014.

The England international has featured in over 200 games for the Red Devils and has contributed 33 goals and 20 assists during that time.

Jesse Lingard

However, this season, Lingard had struggled to secure game time at Old Trafford under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. This prompted the England international to move to West Ham on loan until the end of the campaign.

Lingard has emerged as a valuable asset for David Moyes’ team. The 28-year-old has managed six goals and four assists in 11 appearances for the Hammers across all competitions.

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Cascarino on Lingard.

Cascarino spoke with talkSPORT and compared Lingard’s West Ham influence to that of Bruno Fernandes when he first arrived at Man United.

β€œIf you go back to last season, Fernandes came to Manchester United in January,” Cascarino said.

“He played half a season and then there was the debate over whether he should be a candidate for Player of the Season.

β€œA lot of fans, probably mostly United fans, felt that with how big of an impact he had. It’s made me think, could you make the same argument for Jesse at West Ham?

“But you can’t deny that he’s been unbelievably exceptional. I’d just say as a candidate, you could definitely make a case (for Lingard).”

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