Jesse Lingard has revealed why he chose to make the switch to Nottingham Forest - and says regular football is the key to getting the best out of him.
The 29-year-old agreed to a one-year contract with the Reds after being released from Manchester United this summer. Lingard had a host of clubs chasing his signature, including West Ham where he had a successful loan stint during the second half of 2020/21 season.
Speaking about his decision to make the move to Trentside, Lingard told BBC podcast special All About Nottingham Forest: "There was a lot of other options, I mean I could have gone abroad for a lot of money but I want to stay in the Premier League.
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"I spoke to the owners and they showed that love and like I say, they wanted to come to my house all in quick succession to try and get the deal done. When I see that sort of love, of course I'm going to say yes.
"But it had to be the right deal for me and my family. My daughter's had a huge part to play in that as well, so I can be local to her. Like I say, the club is huge regardless so it was an easy 'yes'."
Following an 11-year stint at Old Trafford playing at the highest level in English football, he believes his experience in the competition will be crucial for younger players at the club.
"It's vital," he added. "I can speak to a lot of the younger lads especially who've never played in the Premier League and it's a fast tempo, it's a fast-paced game and a lot of things can happen in 90 minutes or 95 minutes, should I say. So I can be there to guide them and speak to them as well."
Lingard is set make his competitive debut when the Reds face Newcastle in the season opener on Saturday. He said: "I feel obviously as an attacker, you need to be scoring goals and assisting and helping the team that way. But also, we defend as a team as well and that starts from the front, that's what the manager's reiterated.
"I feel like they're a great group of lads and we're hungry and we want to work hard to win games. I think that's the most important thing and I feel like as long as we stick through the games, some games are going to be tough where we might not see the ball for a bit. But like I say, we stick together as a unit and when we win games, we celebrate together.
"Regular football again for me is important - that's how you get the best out of me."
Are you excited to see Jesse Lingard in action ahead of the Premier League opener? Have your say in the comments section below...
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