England Under-21 boss Gareth Southgate feels Manchester United winger Jesse Lingard will still develop both physically and as a footballer.

Lingard made his senior debut for the club on the opening day of last season, but a serious knee injury kept him out of action for most of the 2014/15 campaign.




However, the 22-year-old has come roaring back into the side in recent weeks and has earned plaudits from Louis van Gaal after assisting and scoring in Manchester United’s last two wins over CSKA Moscow and West Brom respectively.

Southgate, who managed the talent in the England Under-21s, is not surprised by Lingard’s performances and though he has been a late bloomer, the former England defender feels the 22-year-old always had the skills to be a top professional.
 


“We are not surprised because we have liked him from the off”, Southgate was quoted as saying by the National.

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“Physically he has been a late developer and we think there is still some physical growth to come, but he’s an intelligent footballer and he will carry out the role he’s asked to do, which I think the manager there will quite like.”

The England Under-21 boss admits that Lingard will be under pressure to perform week-in-week-out at a club of Manchester United’s size, but believes it won’t feel alien for the player as he is the product of the club’s academy, where youngsters are trained for the pressure of representing the Red Devils from a very tender age.

He also lauded the coaches at Manchester United for sticking with the winger, despite him being a late developer.

“He is at a club where you know you have to perform every week, but over the years that’s how the youngsters there have been raised.

“They know they’re going to have to perform in front of 70,000 people and that brings expectations and he’s got the shirt at the moment and knowing him he’ll do whatever it takes to hold onto it.

“People at the club, for a long time, stuck with him at a time where he was a small one.”

Lingard will be hoping that his recent performances will help him to hold on to his starting position when Manchester United travel to Watford after the international break.