Jesse Lingard is wasting his career by remaining at Manchester United, according to former England international Paul Parker.
Following a successful loan spell at West Ham, Lingard returned to Old Trafford with the promise of regular first-team involvement under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. As it turned out the arrival of Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo saw Lingard fall further down the United pecking order and his opportunities were limited as a result.
Since Ralf Rangnick was appointed interim manager at Old Trafford, Lingard's involvement has been limited to one minute in the league and a five minute FA Cup appearance.
Newcastle United are interested in taking Lingard to St James' Park for the remainder of the season whilst Tottenham and West Ham have had their overtures knocked back as United do not want to strengthen a rival.
Former Manchester United defender Parker believes that Lingard has a point to prove and needs a transfer to get his career back on track.
"Sitting at the bench for United is what he's done up until now from when he was at loan at West Ham has been absolutely ridiculous. It's been a waste of his career," Parker told MyBettingSites.
"If he's been content with it, then there's got to be something wrong where you haven't shown a desire to want to play football and are content with being on the bench. What's happened to your personal pride, your ego of wanting to play football and getting the adulation that comes with a win - what he got when he was at West Ham."
Parker feels that Lingard should have pushed for a move to West Ham in the summer instead of returning to Manchester United.
"They (West Ham fans) still talk about what he did. They saw him as the person who got them on the road to where they are now," Parker added.
"It would have been an incredible place for him to play football, this part of London. He blew that.
"He didn't want that because he'd rather go and sit on the bench at Manchester United, because he was never gonna be a regular player again. You've got to want to be one of the XI, to walk out, at any ground, after your team's winning and get the adulation that comes with it - it's one of the major points in being a footballer."
A transfer to Newcastle is in the balance for Lingard with the two teams yet to come to an agreement over a potential move but Parker thinks if he does go to St James' Park Lingard will need to make the same impact there he did as he did in east London.
"He's got fans who are gonna be looking at him to go there and give nothing less than what he gave when he went to West Ham. They'll be looking at him and asking questions - 'why didn't you go to West Ham, why didn't you want to leave Man Utd before you did?'
"He's got a lot to prove at the moment. That's what he's got to do, when he goes to Newcastle, give his hundred percent and his life will be so enjoyable."
