It’s been quite a few weeks for Jesse Lingard.
At the start of the season, the Man United midfielder seemed surplus to requirements at Old Trafford. And at 22, it looked like he had missed the boat in terms of breaking into Louis van Gaal’s first-team plans.
Suddenly he is starting for his club, and providing the sort of energy and penetrative running that has been sorely missing in United’s play. To top it off, he recently scored his first senior goal in a 2-0 victory against West Brom.
Now, after only 169 minutes of Premier League football, the Warrington-born lad has been called up by Roy Hodgson to replace the injured Michael Carrick and Jamie Vardy.
As you may expect, Man United fans are suitably chuffed for your academy graduate…
Well done to Jesse Lingard for his first call up to the England Squad! #MUFC pic.twitter.com/M4vX8Q6ce9
— Stretford Paddock (@StretfordPaddck) November 15, 2015
Congratulations to Jesse Lingard who has been called up to Eng squad for Tuesday's international vs France. #MUFC pic.twitter.com/tgsX2HbZFr
— BusbyBulletin (@BusbyBulletin) November 15, 2015
But rival fans are less than amused by what they see as a clear bias towards players at high-profile clubs…
J.Lingard – 168 min, 1 goal
W.Zaha – 743 min, 1 goal, 2 assist
N.Redmond – 763 min, 4 goal, 1 assistGuess who's picked? The Man Utd one!
— PalaceHQ (@PalaceHQ) November 15, 2015
https://twitter.com/samHCAFCwelsh/status/665845674861268992
Jesse Lingard proving again that, for national teams, it doesn't matter you're actually doing, all that matters is who you're playing for
— Conán Doherty (@ConanDoherty) November 15, 2015
Lingard called up to the England squad after a handful of United games? What about shawcross who's been a premier league regular for years.
— LeoF1 (@King_Leo_27) November 15, 2015
I'm not even talking about Zaha specifically in relation to Lingard..
Albrighton also has every right to be fuming at being overlooked.
— HLTCO (@HLTCO) November 15, 2015
Delph and lingard haven't even played 5 games between them, big club bias yet again!!! @FA
— Craig. (@Craig_LCFC) November 15, 2015
@england Jesse Lingard?? Really!! Top 4 club bias is pathetic!!! This is why i havent watched national side for 4 years!! #clubbeforecountry
— Sven (@svenncfc) November 15, 2015
https://twitter.com/JulianGreening/status/665841295076798464?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
Premier League minutes this season… Jesse Lingard – 169, Wilfried Zaha – 747. But guess who's in the England squad? #BigClubBias #CPFC
— Ben Nagle (@bennagle17) November 15, 2015
Zaha, Redmond, Ward-Prowse, Downing etc all better than Lingard but because they don't play for a top 4 club like Lingard they get pied off
— Rob (@RGMFC99) November 15, 2015
Jesse Lingard getting called up to the England squad is the biggest example of big club bias that I have ever seen. #England #HodgsonOut
— Dec (@Decbo_CPFC) November 15, 2015
