Jesse Lingard has revealed that England boss Gareth Southgate told him to secure a Premier League loan move.
The winger joined West Ham on loan from Manchester United in January and has been an instant hit.
He’s scored five goals in his first seven Prem matches to help the Hammers in their push for a European spot.
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That form has also seen him earn a recall to the England team. Lingard could soon make his first national team appearance since June 2019.
Speaking to talkSPORT about Southgate, Lingard said: “He’s shown a lot of support and a lot of belief in me.
“He was the first one to give me my England debut, which I’m proud of and I still kept in contact with him, even though I wasn’t playing just to get his advice on what I should do.
“We carried on speaking and then the loan happened so I didn’t speak to him after the loan, it was just about me working hard for West Ham and trying to get the call-up.
“I’d been two years out and hadn’t played a lot of football so it was in my head that I might go or might not go but I’m glad I’m here now and that he showed that belief in me.”
On Thursday, England play the first of their three World Cup qualifiers this month. They face San Marino, a team which they beat 8-0 in March 2013.
Lingard will be competing with the likes of Marcus Rashford and Phil Foden for a place in Southgate’s starting eleven.
When asked further about the advice from his boss, Lingard continued: “It was just on the right move, really.
“Whether it was about going out to Europe or staying in the Premier League and he said, ‘if I were you I would stay in the Premier League’.
“So after that I had to find a Premier League side and obviously West Ham fit perfectly.”
Last week, Southgate revealed that Lingard was slightly ‘fortunate’ to get an England recall.
However, his return to form with West Ham has been very impressive.
The 28-year-old scored two goals on his debut as the Hammers beat Aston Villa 3-1.
He’s since registered goals against Spurs, Leeds and Arsenal. From those games, West Ham have picked up seven points which has taken them to fifth in the Prem table.
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