Danny Murphy heaps praise on ‘one of the best’ West Ham target Jesse Lignard
Danny Murphy believes that West Ham United target Jesse Lingard should join the club where he will play week in and week out.
The Hammers have a contract offer on the table for the former Manchester United playmaker, with those inside the club hopeful of securing a deal this week.
Murphy, while speaking on talkSPORT, insisted that Lingard is one of the most intelligent footballers he has ever seen in the Premier League.
“He [Lingard] showed great form during the six months’ time he had at West Ham,” he said. “He is a very intelligent footballer.
“He is one of the best I’ve seen in terms of making runs off the ball. He knows when to run in behind and when to come in the hole. He is not bothered about wasting energy and running all the time.
“The player of his talent should be playing week in, week out somewhere. That is something that they should be looking for.”
Jury is Out
Despite nearing the age of 30, it feels like the jury is still out on Lingard. Sometimes, he has a good patch of games in which he looks sensational. On the other hand, there are performances in which he can be frustrating.
Lingard’s greatest season was in 2017-18 with Manchester United when he scored 13 goals and provided eight assists in all competitions [Transfermarkt].
As a result of that domestic campaign, he got a ticket to Russia for the World Cup 2018 as part of the England first-team squad, where they reached the semi-finals.
Later, his move to West Ham rejuvenate his career where scored nine goals and provided four assists in 16 appearances in the league competition. He averaged 2.6 shots per goal and had a rating of 7.22, according to Whoscored.
Those numbers show why the Irons are keen on making a move for Lingard and if he returns to the London Stadium, West Ham fans will be hoping that he can replicate his performances.