Roy Keane believes Manchester United's Jesse Lingard currently finds himself in "no man's land" in regards to his future at Old Trafford.
Keane made the admission ahead of watching the attacking-midfielder score twice to help England beat Andorra 4-0 at Wembley on Sunday evening.
The United ace netted the Three Lions' opener before doubling his tally to make it 3-0 with 12 minutes left on the clock. He also notched an assist for Gareth Southgate's side.
It was a massively encouraging performance from the former West Ham United loanee and one that sent a timely reminder to Ole Gunnar Solskjaer of what he is capable of. Lingard was linked with a permanent United exit in the summer but has remained in Solskjaer's squad and will now compete for game-time.
Having shown what he is capable of, albeit against a lesser opposition in Andorra, Lingard will now be hoping to force his way into the United side, but that challenge is easier said than done.
But Keane said Lingard currently finds himself in a difficult position with opportunities at Old Trafford likely to be limited. He was asked if Lingard is in "no man's land" at his club.
"That’s the exactly the words I would use," Keane told ITV Sport. "It’s been difficult, you thought he’d get a move.
"But he’s got to get his head down at Man United. Gareth [Southgate] obviously likes him, he’s had him in the squad a couple of times.
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"It’s another opportunity for Jesse to get 90 minutes under his belt and maybe score a goal because he’s a good player, he just needs to play regularly."
Considering United's attacking ranks are packed to the rafters with talent, including the likes of Bruno Fernandes and Paul Pogba who can operate in Lingard's preferred role, the prospect of him playing regularly this season is unlikely.
However, the 28-year-old certainly did himself no harm with his two-goal haul against Andorra, with his performance attracting plenty of plaudits.
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