Jesse Lingard explained his loan decision to West Ham saying he “hadn’t had the opportunity” at Man Utd after the lockdown.

The English international joined the Hammers during the January transfer window for rent.

He had only made three appearances for Man Utd this season before the move.

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The 28-year-old seems to be already enjoying his time in the capital.

He scored two goals on his debut as West Ham beat Aston Villa 3-1 in the Premier League.

Speaking to BT Sport (via Goal) of the decision Lingard said: “I’m here first and foremost to play, win and help the team so hopefully I can do that and we’ll see where we are at the end of the season. it’s about playing with a smile on your face, enjoying my football and reuniting with former Jesse.

“Football is a lot of ups and downs, people go through different stages and it’s not just a straight road to the top. There are a lot of setbacks that most people don’t see and a lot of things that happen behind closed doors.

“During the lockdown I recapped my best times playing football – the season under José (Mourinho) where I scored all those goals and went to the World Cup and the season where Ole came in and I started well.

“I started to recap a lot of games to see where I had done well, to have that fire in my stomach and drive again to start over because it would have been easy for me to fall and take the option out. easy. But a person like me who’s been through a lot and knows the game, I can’t just give it up and I’ll always come out with a fight.

“I came back one of the strongest and fittest (of the Man Utd squad) after the lockdown and didn’t have the luck I expected. The whole time I was there and not playing, I was doing extra workout and staying on top of my fitness level at the right time.

“So for me it’s about working hard and staying dedicated and I got back to basics. “

The winger looks set to play an important role as David Moyes’ team is chasing a European place.

They are playing Sheff Utd tonight at 6:00 p.m.