Jesse Lingard admit he's been "emotional" about leaving Manchester United after his exit from Old Trafford was confirmed.
The midfielder had spent over two decades at the Red Devils, rising up through the club's academy before becoming a regular first team star. Opportunities have been harder to come by in recent seasons and Lingard made the decision to snub a contract offer at the start of the campaign.
His deal has now come to an end and he is free to explore his options. Nevertheless the 28-year-old, who made his debut back in 2011, has penned an emotional statement on social media, thanking the Premier League giants.
He wrote: "Born and bred a red. Over the last few weeks, I've been emotional about leaving a club that is family. After 22 years I’ve had so many special memories and moments that I will cherish forever. @ManUtd will always remain in my heart. A massive thank you. Lots of love Jlingz"
United themselves issues a lengthy statement on their website, highlighting his achievements at the club before saying: "We’d like to take this opportunity to thank Jesse for all of the memories he’s helped create during his two decades here and wish him the best of luck in his future career."
Lingard began his career by heading out on loan to second tier sides Birmingham City, Derby County and Brighton and Hove Albion. He would become a more established first team member under Louis van Gaal - scoring the winner in the 2016 FA Cup final at Wembley.
Lingard also scored goals in the Carabao Cup final success of 2017 and the Community Shield win over Leicester City a matter of months earlier. As a teenager he was part of the famous FA Youth Cup side that saw off Sheffield United - playing alongside the likes of Paul Pogba and Ravel Morrison.
The 29-year-old netted a winner earlier this season at West Ham United, which secured a 2-1 win. That would prove to be the last of his 35 goals for the Red Devils. He continued to struggle for starts under both Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and Ralf Rangnick. All in all he made 232 appearances for the Red Devils which helped him earn 32 England caps. His underwhelming Old Trafford exit saw his brother criticise the club on social media.
The Hammers, who saw the best of Lingard during a loan spell in the 2020/21 season are among the favourites to sign the Englishman. Newcastle United also made moves to sign the midfielder in January and could return this summer.
