Jesse Lingard has revealed that he considers his loan move to West Ham as being a 'great move' for him after starring at the London Stadium.
The 28-year-old was deemed surplus to requirements at Old Trafford and allowed to link up with his former Manchester United manager David Moyes at the Hammers.
Lingard's 16 match spell with West Ham saw him contribute nine goals and four assists and force his way back into the England reckoning.
The midfielder was part of Gareth Southgate's squad for the World Cup qualifiers in March and April and was a member of the provisional Euro 2020 squad before being omitted from the final party.
This axing was something Lingard found hard to take: "It was emotional," he told Sky Sports . "You're sad and you're down, but you've got to respect the manager's decision.
"Me and Gareth have a great relationship, and now it's about supporting the boys."
Lingard has been true to his word and headed to the pub with friends to watch England 1-0 win over Croatia. He even donned a Three Lions shirt with Hammers teammate 'Rice 4' on the back as he cheered his international colleagues on.
"I love watching England - I'm a fan myself," he said.
"I enjoyed going to the beer garden to watch the first game."
Lingard's future is yet to be decided but the 28-year-old has made it clear what he wants next season
"Regular football is the most important thing for me," Lingard said. "After going on loan and getting a good run in the team, you started to see the real me, with the goals and the assists.
"I've never doubted my ability, I've always believed in myself."
Moyes has made no secret of wanting Lingard to return to the London Stadium next season and can offer the star exactly what he wants.
If a Hammers move is to happen Lingard may need to have a conversation similar to the one he had with Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer in the summer of 2020.
"I spoke to the manager in pre-season and said, 'I need game time'. He said, 'we can discuss it December time', and we spoke again and he agreed to let me go on loan.
"I had various conversations with him during my time at West Ham. He was very supportive and it was a great loan for me."
If it is regular football that Lingard desires then West Ham will be more than willing to offer it to the England man. Lingard has proved that a return to the Three Lions fold is possible while at the Hammers and this is another aim for the 29-capped international.
"Last year, November time, I think no one thought I'd get near the team," he said. "But I worked hard, did well on loan and England came knocking.
"I enjoyed the camp in March - it's always good to be back with the boys. I played in those games, and then coming up to the Euros, being involved in the 33-man squad was brilliant as well.
"I worked so hard to get there. I didn't get picked, but I'll always carry on supporting the boys."
