Jamie Carragher and Gary Neville have criticized Jesse Lingard’s decision to join Nottingham Forest and claimed that Lingard’s reputation has “taken damage” as a result.
Last month, the former Manchester United midfielder, who was also wanted by West Ham, completed a transfer to the newly promoted Premier League team.
Since then, Lingard has come in for a lot of criticism, and the punditry pair did not hold back in speculating that he moved to Forest “for the money.”
Carragher stated during the second segment of the Overlap Live Fan Debate: “He [Jesse Lingard] went there [Nottingham Forest] for the money… I am really happy that Nottingham Forest is back in the Premier League.
“If any footballer is picking Nottingham Forest right now, before West Ham and what they’ve done in the last two or three years, they’ve obviously gone there for a few quid. And, the fact that he’s only signed for a year means that next year on a free or Bosman [ruling].”
“There’s a good chance Forest could go down, but it puts Jesse Lingard in a good position if he gets eight to ten goals for them. But, if West Ham want you right now, I can’t believe he never went to West Ham. The outcome is fantastic for Nottingham Forest,” Jamie Carragher concluded.
The England international, who left Manchester United at the end of his contract, rejected West Ham in favor of joining Forest despite doing well during his season-long loan stint with the Hammers. He signed a contract for a basic wage of £80,000 per week, with the remaining amount to be covered by prospective bonuses.
Meanwhile, Gary Neville claimed that: ‘It just felt really transactional [Lingard signing for Nottingham Forest].
‘Football fans, when it comes down to it, later in the year, if Jesse started to be linked four or five months in with where he’s going to go next year – it won’t end well.
‘Fans don’t like transactional stuff like that. They enjoy participating in the game. They [Nottingham Forest] could have shaped it a different way. Two years [on a contract] and if we go down, a little clause in the contract that says you can leave on a free.
‘Jesse could have been clever. His reputation has suffered. He could have signed a two-year deal where he leaves at the end of the season – if they go down – for free.’
Lingard may encounter a cold greeting from the visiting supporters when he makes his home debut on August 14 as a result of his decision to choose Forest over West Ham.
‘No one needs to be aware of that rule, and it’s just clever,’ said Neville. ‘ Why put yourself in a situation where it appears to be cold, vicious, and money-hungry? And he declined West Ham. If, after six months, he begins to discuss [going elsewhere], this will not be beneficial for him openly with the media or the supporters.’
‘No one ever questions his work ethic, he’s always overperformed. He was under pressure to leave a few years ago because many believed he should have been Ronaldo or something, but he clearly isn’t that kind of player.’
“I just think in terms of how you present yourself and are regarded in football – you may occasionally make movements that mean you’re depicted in a way that won’t help you in your future life after football,” the player said. He might reflect on this as a time when he wishes he hadn’t done something.’
Forest approached Lingard about signing a lucrative £120,000 per week contract to bolster their team in preparation for their first Premier League season since 1999.
The Hammers were also in the running to capture Lingard on a permanent basis following his productive loan season in 2020–21. They were hesitant to increase their own offer, which was lower than Forest’s, though.
As a result, Forest won the race to sign the 29-year-old, who is one of Steve Cooper’s 12 new additions and is gearing up for a return to the Premier League.
What did Lingard say to Jamie Carragher
The England International did not allow the Ex-Liverpool and England defender to have a field day as he responded to Jamie Carragher’s criticism swiftly. The former Manchester United star told BBC Sports That: “There were a lot of other options, I mean I could have gone abroad for a lot of money but I want to stay in the Premier League.”
What Happened to Jesse Lingard
Jesse Lingard left Manchester United after his contract expired in June 2022 because he was unable to establish himself as a starter at Old Trafford.
The England international enrolled in the United academy at the age of seven and was a member of the team that won the FA Youth Cup in 2011.
In August 2014, Jesse Lingard made his United debut against Swansea City. The following year, he cemented his place in Louis van Gaal’s lineup by scoring the winning goal in the 2016 FA Cup final victory over Crystal Palace.
The 2016 Community Shield victory over Leicester and the 2017 League Cup victory over Southampton both featured goals from Lingard. He joined the action in the triumph over Ajax in the Europa League final later that year.
Despite performing well under Louis van Gaal and Jose Mourinho, Lingard had trouble finding his form until Ole Gunnar Solskjaer was appointed as the permanent manager.
Before facing Leeds in February, Lingard had gone more than two years without making a Premier League start and had a 19-month goal drought in the league.
Lingard scored nine goals in 16 games after moving on loan to West Ham in January of last year. West Ham offered £25 million to get him permanently, but Solskjaer declined, so Lingard stayed. He only made four starts for Solskjaer and interim manager Ralf Rangnick in the previous campaign.
A string of social media missteps by Lingard, including a laughable video filmed when the team van was attacked upon arrival at the Boleyn Ground for the championship game in May 2016 and an infamous vacation video in 2019, damaged his United career.
