Johannesburg – After Gareth Southgate told Jesse Lingard he was “fortunate” to earn his England recall, the onus is on the forward to maintain his impressive form if he wants a spot at the Euros.
That is good news for West Ham, whose hopes of maintaining their push for Champions League qualification could depend on the on-loan Manchester United star.
Lingard is back in the England fold for the first time since June 2019, after being called up for this month’s trio of World Cup qualifiers.
He has scored four times for West Ham, but Southgate suggested he only called up Lingard because England are without a host of injured attacking players, including Jadon Sancho, Jack Grealish, Harvey Barnes and James Maddison. Southgate said Lingard still needs to prove he can maintain his high level “over a period of time”, so it is now down to the 28-year-old to continue producing for West Ham for the rest of the season.
Southgate, who also handed recalls to Luke Shaw and John Stones, said: “Of the three, you would have to say Jesse is a little more fortunate to be in. Luke and John have performed over a period of time.
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“We have got injuries in attacking areas that have opened up an opportunity for Jesse, but I have to say, his performances for West Ham have been excellent, his four goals in six games. We know he can perform at the level, he has been a good member of our squad.”
– microsoftnews. com
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