Jesse Lingard has been accused of disrespecting Manchester United after the player recently spoke out about “false promises” made by the club.
The 30-year-old returned to Old Trafford for the first time since his summer exit when Nottingham Forest came to town. He limped off after 53 minutes during United 's 3-0 win to applause from the home fans who showed their appreciation for his former service.
The midfielder said he was disappointed that he did not get a final send-off at Old Trafford under Ralf Rangnick last season after coming through the academy ranks to enjoy 11 years in the first-team amid sporadic loan spells.
READ MORE: Jesse Lingard criticises Manchester United for failing to grant him farewell appearance
His brother, Louie Scott, called the club “classless” at the snub, saying: “Twenty years of blood, sweat and tears, four domestic trophies, three cup final goals. Not even a farewell.”
Lingard himself said he felt aggrieved by the absence of a proper goodbye when speaking earlier this week. “It was the last home game and he didn't put me on.
"I just thought, can you not put me on, even if it was just for the last five minutes so I can clap the fans and have a send-off?” he said.
“I felt like I deserved that, to be honest. But it didn't happen. Hopefully I can go back there and do it.”
And in an interview with the Telegraph, Lingard added: “I don’t know why I wasn’t playing. I don’t know what the problem was, whether it was politics or whatever.
“I still haven’t got an answer to this day. I didn’t even ask. I’d rather that someone out of respect for me being there that long told me ‘this is why you’re not playing’, but I never got that.
“It was false promises. When you’re working hard in training and don’t play at the end of it, it’s very frustrating.”
Former United defender Paul Parker has now responded to Lingard’s assessment by claiming the midfielder himself “disrespected” the club and was not up to standard.
Speaking to Bonuscodebets.com, he said: “Jesse Lingard wasn’t disrespected at all in Man United and for him to say that is totally wrong.
“He is a local boy and now he is disrespecting the club instead of looking himself in the mirror. Jesse wasn't good enough to play for Man United and he needs to acknowledge that instead of coming with accusations about the club.
“And honestly, to talk about politics as the reasons why he was a failure is rubbish. You should never use that sentence when talking about football and if he really wants to talk politics he should go and talk to Gary Neville.
“One day he will hopefully be mature enough to see that he disrespected the club by putting this in the newspaper and then should apologise to the club and the fans.”
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