Jesse Lingard wants to be Manchester United No 10

Lingard retained the central role behind the striker against Everton on Sunday

Jesse Lingard (Getty)

Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard considers himself to be most naturally suited to the No 10 role and, in a sign of the competition Wayne Rooney will face next season, believes he can be a modern manifestation of the iconic position.

Lingard retained the central role behind the striker against Everton on Sunday in which he made an impact in last month’s derby fixture, having been told by manager Louis van Gaal that his performance against Manchester City was his best to date, in his breakthrough season.

Lingard offers more industry than some No 10s, and has made it less of the free, individualistic role than the more individualistic players, though with Anthony Martial and Marcus Rashford providing so much of the unexpected, the more workmanlike contribution does supply necessary balance. As a collective, the new offensive trio – average age 20 – were a handful for Everton and are beginning to look like the new face of United’s attacking challenge.

“I’ve always like the No 10 position,” Lingard said. “You can get on the ball a lot more and attempt to dictate the play a lot more. You are definitely more involved defensively and, obviously, attacking wise, too. I think it’s more like a free role [than any other] nowadays but you can go anywhere to try to make things happen and create things. That’s the main idea but obviously you’ve still got to defend.”

The 1-0 win over Everton, which keeps United in a head-to head fight with Manchester City for the Premier League’s fourth place, was more workmanlike than dynamic, though it provided more evidence of the changing of the guard at United. Michael Carrick, who began as captain, lasted only 57 minutes and did not seem to possess the legs for the match’s high tempo.

At 27, Juan Mata looked like the old man, controlling a 30-yard cross-field Morgan Schneiderlin pass supremely well to set in train the United goal. The 30-year-old Rooney, who is expected to feature for United’s Under-21 side in the next few days as he steps up his recovery from knee ligament damage, will be pushed by the emerging talents.

Lingard’s confidence and assertiveness have contributed to him forcing his way into the United side and demonstrating he is up to the physical challenge, despite his comparatively diminutive stature. He is at the hub of the emerging collective of players - something of a trend setter, having brought the ‘Dab’ goal celebration to Carrington – and evidently looking to his former United teammate Rio Ferdinand as a mentor, with regular informal contact between the two of them.

The Manchester derby is clearly a game he considers to have been a statement of his ability to handle the physicality of the Premier League, with a height of 5ft 9ins. “Going up against Yaya Toure… he is one of the biggest players if all the midfielder in the Premier League,” Lingard told United Review. “So it was obviously a good test. Fernando came on and he is a big guy as well. It’s all about development. I had to play wide when I was younger as there were a lot of bug lads in midfield. Now I’m coming to the fire and I handled myself against City so I don’t see why I can’t carry it on.”