I was wrong about Jesse Lingard: we must protect him at all costs

Protect Jesse Lingard at all costs

I have a confession to make. I used to really dislike Jesse Lingard. I would say I don't know why, but I do: he broke my heart in the 2016 FA Cup final, and I couldn't forgive him. As a Crystal Palace fan left broken by his extra-time winner at Wembley, suddenly everything he did annoyed me. It was irrational, and I knew that, but I resented everything about him. I now realise that I was wrong. Jesse Lingard is a legend, and we must protect him. There is a lot of talk within football of loving players who play with a smile on their face. You know the sort - Joe Cole, Ronaldinho... Alan Hutton. Flair players who enjoy every minute on the pitch. Nobody encapsulates that feeling better than Lingard at this current moment in time. He plays with an unapologetic happiness, a childlike mischief that is too often drilled out of players as they come up through the ranks. Lingard has managed to retain it, which is almost a miracle considering some of the managers he's played under. It makes him a better, more entertaining player - and a winner, too. He even plays football with kids in the street, purely because of his love of the game and appreciation of his fans. There is a genuine connection between Lingard and his followers that few other players can hope to achieve. For some the self-appointed nickname, J-Lingz, and the celebrations to go with it are cause for derision. And yet, as he moonwalked along the Emirates pitch on Friday night, I realised that a player I used to despise is one I now want to do well in every game. Maybe it was the World Cup. That goal against Panama and the Fortnite celebration was the final push I needed to complete a full 180. He personified the new-found hope among England fans. He was living out our dreams in Russia and relishing every minute. That entire England squad endeared itself to the nation, dared us to dream, and made us temporarily forget that the country was falling apart around us. For that, I am eternally grateful. Looking back, part of the reason I felt bitterness towards Lingard in the past must have been because he was given the opportunity and granted the necessary patience to succeed at Old Trafford, while my hero - Wilfried Zaha - was not. I felt aggrieved on Zaha's behalf, perhaps out of naivety, rather than just being happy for Lingard. But I now sympathise with Lingard's journey to the top. I was also a late bloomer who struggles to gain weight. That was what prevented him from breaking into the United first team until his early 20s, and that's what I feel prevented me from ever playing football at a decent level. He has overcome personal challenges that his critics simply ignore. I'm no longer one of them. In a world filled with Proper Football Men who look like they might explode every time a footballer dares to enjoy themselves, players like Lingard are vital. They remind us that football is a game - it's meant to be fun. This weekend, he moonwalked at the Emirates Stadium and reimbursed a group of AFC Wimbledon fans several hundred pounds after missing a penalty on Soccer AM. Anyone who does that must be cherished. It's taken two years, but I have learned to love Jesse Lingard. If, like me, you were once in the other camp of bitterness and resentment, I urge you to join us on this side. It's much more fun.