Manchester United loanee Jesse Lingard has revealed how Gareth Southgate convinced him to stay in the Premier League this summer.
Lingard chose to join West Ham despite having numerous offers from abroad and at home in England.
It has been a good choice so far with Lingard contributing five goals and two assists in seven Premier League matches for David Moyes’ side as they look to qualify for the Champions League.
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That form has seen him recalled to the England squad by Southgate for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers against San Marino, Albania and Poland.
And Lingard has said that he’s been grateful for Southgate’s belief in him and his advice over his January move.
“He’s shown a lot of support and belief in me, he gave me my England debut, which I’m proud of,” Lingard told talkSPORT.
“I still kept in contact with him even though I wasn’t playing, just to get his advice on what I should do.
“It was just about the right move, whether it was going out to Europe or staying in the Premier League.
“He said, ‘If I was you, I would stay in the Premier League’. After that, it was about finding a Premier League side and West Ham fitted in perfectly.”
Lingard’s last international cap came in June 2019 in a Nations League third-place play-off against Switzerland that England won on penalties.
On his reaction to the moment he heard the news about his latest England call-up, Lingard added: “It was amazing, even for my family. It was emotional and it’s been a long time coming.
“I’ve had to work hard and graft, and I still believe in myself to play at the highest level. If you work hard, you get the rewards in the end.
“Things happen off the pitch which can affect your performances, when I went on loan to West Ham I had a load of targets written down, and I’ve already hit certain ones already.
“It’s just about having the right mindset and focus.”
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