Jesse Lingard believes that both he and Derby County can help each other achieve their ‘dreams’ over the remainder of this season.
Jesse Lingard believes that both he and Derby County can help each other achieve their ‘dreams’ over the remainder of this season.
The 22-year-old has joined the Rams on loan until the end of the season after first signing a new three-and-a-half year contract with Manchester United before completing a deal to link up with Steve McClaren’s side for the remainder of the 2014-15 season.
He became the second attacker to join Derby on transfer deadline day as he followed Tom Ince, a fellow former England Under 21 international, in signing with the Rams until the end of the campaign from Hull City.
Now, Lingard is hoping he can make a ‘big impact’ with Derby as he looks to help them maintain their push for promotion to the Barclays Premier League this season – an achievement that could him take his next step in trying to break into his parent club’s first team.
Speaking to Rams Player, he said: “I was scheduled to play for the (Manchester) United Under 21s last night, but I got a call before the game and I had to travel back to Carrington to get my deal sorted with Manchester United before I sorted out my move to Derby.
“It was a long night and I have driven down here this morning to complete my first training session so the last day or so has been a real whirlwind.
“That’s what football is about, though, and I am delighted to get both deals done.
“It was important for me to pledge my future to Manchester United and then Derby wanted to take me on loan.
“I sat down with my family and considered coming here and I think, by looking around the place, that I have made the right choice.
“The style of play was a big pull, but the Head Coach, the group of the lads that they have already got here made the move a really attractive one.
“I know Tom Ince and Will Hughes from our time together in the England Under 21 squad so that helps a lot as well when you know people at the club that you are moving to.
“I have already seen that the rest of the lads are a good bunch and this is a big chance to be part of a promotion push.
“The team has been winning and doing well, so I am going integrate myself into the group that they have already got here, but when I play, I hope I can make a big impact and help out in anyway that I can.
“I want to play for Manchester United. That is my main aim and by coming on loan to Derby, I have a great chance to continue to develop and help them achieve their dream of getting back to the Premier League and hopefully that will help me achieve mine as well.”
Derby’s latest recruit is very familiar to life in the Sky Bet Championship having enjoyed two loan spells with Birmingham City and Brighton & Hove Albion over the season.
Lingard scored the opening goal for Brighton in the first-leg of last campaign’s play-off matches between the Seagulls and the Rams, whilst he also notably scored four goals on his debut for Birmingham.
Lingard is now hoping that he can transfer his form last season on to the pitch for Derby.
He added: “I played against Derby in last season’s play-offs against Brighton. It is a stadium that holds a lot of fans and as I saw last season, the fans can generate quite an atmosphere.
“I remember both of those games very well. I scored the goal and Brighton took the lead, but Derby had too much for us over both legs and they really showed their qualities during the second-leg at the iPro.
“I scored four goals on my debut for Birmingham, but it took me a while to score my first goals for Brighton.
“I was very lucky on that day, for Birmingham, to score four goals. You can’t expect that on every debut that you make and when I do make my debut for Derby I will be hoping to get on the score sheet.”
