Jesse Lingard and Co. have been in impressive form of late as England have been winning their warm-up ties ahead of the 2018 FIFA World Cup, but the Manchester United midfielder won hearts on Thursday with a classy gesture for a fan after the Three Lions’ triumph over Costa Rica.
One young supporter’s family kept waving a banner that read: “Jesse Lingard can I have your shirt,” throughout the tie and the 25-year-old delighted the boy by walking across after full-time and promptly handing across his match-worn jersey.
Here’s Lingard’s post:
Fans were class tonight, Russia here we come. Let’s go boys 🦁 🦁 🦁 #JLingz #Lingland @england
A post shared by JLingz 🔱 (@jesselingard) on
A popular figure with United fans in particular, Lingard’s really come into his own over the course of the past two seasons.
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Capable of playing on either wing or behind the central striker, the versatile midfielder is seen as a vital component of both United and England’s squads despite not being a confirmed starter.
The United man started in England’s 2-1 win over Nigeria on the weekend and as Gareth Southgate rotated most of his squad for the tie against Costa Rica, Lingard came off the bench in the final ten minutes against the South Americans.
Usually, England go into major international tournaments with plenty of optimism as the Premier League is considered one of the best leagues in the world.
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However, the national team has, despite having a plethora of top stars, flattered to deceive for so long now that many England fans are not expecting too much from Southgate’s youthful squad.
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Drawn in Group G along with Belgium, Panama and Tunisia, the Three Lions open their campaign on June 18.