Lingard reveals ‘need for regular football’ ahead of World Cup
Jesse Lingard has admitted he needs regular first-team football to have a chance of making England’s 2022 World Cup squad next winter.
Lingard is in Gareth Southgate’s current England squad for this months qualifiers despite a lack of game time for Manchester United.
However, the versatile midfielder believes he will need more frequent first-team minutes to make to the squad for next years World Cup in Qatar.
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Speaking to Sky Sports, Lingard said: “Obviously, the World Cup is a long way away but… you need regular football.”
The 28-year-old just missed out on the squad for the European Championships in the summer after an excellent loan spell at West Ham in the second half of last season.
Lingard continued: “I was so close to going to the Euros and I think obviously it plays a huge part and it’s a big factor. If you’re playing over 20 or 25 games, of course you know you’re knocking on the door so I think it does play a big part in that.
“I’m not doing any harm at the moment – if I keep performing well and doing well you never know what might happen so I keep confident in myself and when I get when I get time on the pitch I’ve got to carry on doing what I’m doing.
“You want to start games. When I’m a sub I’m always ready to play. I’m always ready to be needed when I’m called up.
“It’s one of those things I’m going through at the moment but I think on recent performances hopefully we’ll see a change in the next few weeks.”
When asked if he omission from the squad last summer gave him a drive to make the next tournament squad, Lingard revealed: “Yes, it gives you more hunger and motivation to be playing in the biggest of tournaments and games.
“It’s always hard. Considering where I was for a period of time, not playing as much and not in the England squad, to get into the 33-man squad shows what you can do with hard work and belief.
West Ham were one of a number of clubs linked with a permanent move for their former-loanee in the summer but the deal never materialised. United then added Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo to their attacking ranks, meaning that a starting role for Lingard became an even tougher proposition.