Jesse Lingard should be Andreas Pereira's inspiration at Man United

Matt Jones - Editor 17:49 27/08/2018
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  • Andreas Pereira is surrounded by huge names, big egos, experienced stars whose trophy cabinets are crammed full of silverware – but it is one of Manchester United’s lesser lights that he should look to if he really wants to shine bright on the Old Trafford stage.

    Jesse Lingard remains a much-maligned player in the red half of Manchester but Pereira would be wise to pick up the breadcrumbs he has dropped and follow the same yellow brick road to success as a Red Devil.

    Loan spells away from parent clubs on the way to ultimate glory are far from uncommon for footballers, particularly at United.

    Take David Beckham, Jermain Defoe and John Terry who were nobodies when they went to Preston North End, Bournemouth and Nottingham Forest respectively in their formative years – yet returned with reputations enhanced.

    Beckham scored two goals in five matches, one a trademark free-kick and the other direct from a corner, as he earned the respect of hard-nosed senior pros – among them future United manager David Moyes – initially wary of the flashy teenager from the Premier League.

    Jesse Lingard scores the winning goal in the 2016 FA Cup final.

    Jesse Lingard scores the winning goal in the 2016 FA Cup final.

    Lingard himself spent a mammoth period away from Old Trafford between 2012-15, learning to hone his talent. Indeed, it seemed as if his future was destined to be played in the second tier after successful spells with Leicester, Birmingham, Brighton and Derby County in the Championship.

    He used his time away wisely, memorably scoring four goals, including a 13-minute hat-trick, on his Birmingham debut in a 4-1 win against Sheffield Wednesday.

    Still, it seemed like he would never quite make the grade – many strangely still believe he hasn’t and won’t – before finally breaking through under Louis van Gaal in 2015/16.

    He made 42 appearances and hasn’t looked back – culminating in featuring prominently for England at the World Cup – even if he divides opinion like few other players.

    Whatever your opinion, there is no doubt the 25-year-old has finally come of age in the past three seasons and become an increasingly vital player under Jose Mourinho. This despite the constant criticism both from outside and within the club.

    A creator of exquisite and intelligent runs, a scorer of spectacular and crucial goals in the biggest games.

    While he may not be the biggest either in name or stature, his importance to Mourinho and United is immeasurable.

    He is living proof that while talent is a much sought-after commodity in football, there really is no substitute for dedication, hard work and perseverance.

    Pereira celebrates after his stunning free-kick against Liverpool in pre-season.

    Pereira celebrates after his stunning free-kick against Liverpool in pre-season.

    These are all traits Pereira can use in order to forge his own path to glory. The Belgian-born midfielder has already trodden his own fairly worn footsteps away from Old Trafford.

    He impressed in the high-pressure environment of La Liga during the last two seasons, shining particularly brightly in 2016/17 with Granada, where his five goals in 37 games nevertheless could not prevent relegation.

    Last season he was said to have largely underwhelmed at the Mestalla, despite featuring 29 times, scoring once and contributing three La Liga assists for Valencia as Los Che finished fourth and qualified for the Champions League for the first time in three seasons.

    The 22-year-old was frequently accused of individualism and immaturity.

    Yet he hit the ground running in the absence of United’s World Cup stars this summer, scoring a stunning free-kick on an otherwise forgetful day for United against Liverpool – Pereira’s strike coming as a 4-1 hammering was meted out in Michigan by arch enemies.

    There’s plenty of pressure on Mourinho and United following an abject start to the season – the knives are out in force and being sharpened following last week’s woeful 3-2 defeat at Brighton.

    Yet Pereira is playing, and also performing. His 93 passes are fifth most so far for United, his three interceptions per game leads the team and his 91.4 per cent pass success rate trails only Fred and Victor Lindelof.

    Twelve months ago, having impressed on United’s US pre-season tour, he angered his manager when he opted to return to Spain with Valencia rather than fight for a first team place – Nemanja Matic’s arrival surely had a bearing on that decision.

    But this summer, he has earned praise from a purring Mourinho, as well as an upgrade to the No15 jersey, with the boss ironically now no longer seeing him as just a number.

    “At this moment he is a player – not a number,” the Portuguese said of Pereira ahead of the Tottenham game.

    The much-maligned Jesse Lingard was a key player in an England side that reached the 2018 World Cup semi-finals.

    The much-maligned Jesse Lingard was a key player in an England side that reached the 2018 World Cup semi-finals.

    “Sometimes in the squad you have a couple of players who are just a number. They are just there to cover, to play a couple of minutes in the Carabao Cup.

    “But at this moment, Pereira is a player who is competing with the other guys for a position in the team.”

    That will be music to the Brazil Under-23 international’s ears. And he must now find a rhythm this season.

    He has the upper hand on Lingard in many respects. He possesses infinitely more skill and technique. Now if he can just emulate the England man’s heart and attitude he might have Old Trafford dancing to his Samba beat.

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