Gary Neville has expressed his disappointment at Jesse Lingard's failure to secure a move away from Manchester United this summer.
The 28-year-old fell down the pecking order under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer last term and was subsequently loaned out for the second half of the season to West Ham United, where he revitalised his career with nine goals and five assists in 16 appearances.
Lingard has since been brought back into the fold at Old Trafford, with Solskjaer suggesting that he will 'play a big part' for the club this season, however former United defender Neville believes the midfielder needed to move permanently from the Red Devils to further his career.
"I'm disappointed for Jesse Lingard that he's not left Manchester United. He'll get a few games, he'll get moments on the pitch, he'll contribute, but I think he had something going at West Ham last year that meant Jesse Lingard in his own right was standing up as a really good player," Neville told Sky Sports News.
"To go back to being a squad player again I think, for me, is disappointing. I think you sometimes have to sort of fly the nest and go. I thought he'd already done that with what he did last year.
"So I think there's two or three players that won't get a lot of game time this year that could have joined Daniel James and really furthered their careers and got more football."
Lingard's current contract is due to expire at the end of the season, though United are considering opening talks with the England international to renew his deal.
Oliver Thomas
