Darren Bent has suggested that Jesse Lingard didn’t do anything for Nottingham Forest during the 2022/23 campaign. The Reds released the England forward last week, with the 30-year-old moving on to pastures new after just one season at the football club.
Lingard was signed as a stellar recruit on a free transfer shortly after promotion. Now, Bent has told TalkSPORT that he doesn’t feel as though the versatile performer can walk away from Forest with much credit.
In truth, it was a frustrating time for Lingard at the City Ground. He was never really considered a regular in the team and showcased his best form just before the World Cup break which hampered his progress.
Lingard has been a revelation behind the scenes. Nobody at Forest has had a bad word to say about him and he’s clearly had a positive influence on a relatively young dressing room.
Furthermore, the fact that Forest have stayed in the division does help the Reds. It means that the cost for Lingard for a single season has proved relatively small in the grand scheme of things.
MORE FOREST STORIES
TalkSPORT pundit Bent slams Lingard for Forest disaster
Bent has launched a bit of an attack on the player. He thinks he’s offered little and chose to bash him a little bit during a recent show on TalkSPORT.
He said: “Seventeen appearances in the league, no goals, no assists. I know he’s had injuries and I think he’s even spoken about some of the problems off the pitch in a few interviews, but it’s not worked. It’s been a disaster.
“You look at Morgan Gibbs-White who has really stepped up and come on this season. Jesse hasn’t done that. You look at the amount of money they have invested for one year, they’ve got no return on that. When you look at the actual return on the pitch it’s next to nothing.
“I know Jesse; I played with him at Derby, I know he’ll have had a positive impact in the dressing room, so maybe that has helped. But if you judge him on what he’s done on the pitch, he hasn’t done anything.”
Not too many Forest fans will have a bad word to say about the man who has now departed Forest. He posted a positive message of thanks on Instagram and clearly the players valued his input.
What comes next for Lingard is a mystery. It’s unlikely he will get another Premier League offer and perhaps now will be the time for him to look at moving to the United States.