Lingard had the world at his feet after the 2018 World Cup, but he soon fell into the dark abyss at Old Trafford.
Although life wasn't easy away from the pitch, either, the 28-year-old admirably chose to fight against the tide instead of accepting his fate and drowning and, despite being frozen out of Ole Gunnar Solskjaer's first-team plans, he worked tirelessly at Carrington.
Lingard knew that he needed to be ready if the opportunity for a temporary move to reignite his career arose and, while some players in such circumstances would struggle for motivation and purpose, he admirably went about installing the foundations for success.
His foresight was rewarded when former Manchester United boss David Moyes came calling in January with an offer to bring him to West Ham.
"I feel I can really settle in here quickly," Lingard said upon signing for Moyes' side. He did that and then some.
Lingard scored nine goals and three assists across his first nine games after his switch and he was perhaps the most in-form player in the world - that's not hyperbole - across those fixtures, sending a timely reminder of the calibre of performances he can produce.
Although they were taken with a large pinch of salt, reports then emerged that claimed Lingard was attracting interest from Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan - was this really the same player that was left in the cold by Solskjaer at United?
Inspiring West Ham to the Champions League places ultimately proved a step too far for Lingard, but the playmaker single-handedly offered Moyes' side the spark they needed to secure Europa League football and his loan was undoubtedly a resounding success.
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It was therefore no surprise that West Ham wanted to make the move permanent, but Lingard remains a United player one week after the transfer window slammed shut and now he's ready and waiting for his opportunity if Solskjaer calls upon him.
Lingard will have to accept he's set to play his part mostly from the bench this season, although there's no better manager than Solskjaer to work with in this scenario - the United boss was once viewed by Sir Alex Ferguson as the perfect impact substitute.
The Norwegian is fascinated by man management and he'll have to meticulously monitor Lingard this term to ensure the player that became a luminary at West Ham isn't lost again because he's shown that he can offer this United side great value on the pitch.
Solskjaer has lived as United's trump card from off the bench and he'll have the blueprint for Lingard to follow in his footsteps.
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