Former Man Utd star spotted in Saudi Arabia as he edges closer to potential reunion with England team mate

A former Manchester United star has been pictured training in Saudi Arabia as he aims to resume his career in club football.

Jesse Lingard was on the books at Man Utd for 22 years and he was signed by the academy when he was just eight years old back in 2000.

Lingard was a member of the team which won the 2011 FA Youth Cup and he caught the eyes of the footballing world as one to watch as he starred alongside the likes of Paul Pogba, Michael Keane and Ravel Morrison.

The latter trio were all sold by manager Alex Ferguson at the time, but Lingard was slowly nurtured into the first team and he showed signs of promise in various loan spells at Leicester, Birmingham, Brighton and Derby County.

His rise to stardom began during the 2015/16 campaign under Louis Van Gaal and he helped the Red Devils to FA Cup glory by scoring the winner in the final against Crystal Palace.

Lingard’s form earned him 32 England caps over the next six years, while he also picked up further silverware for his boyhood club by lifting the Europa League, Carabao Cup and Community Shield.

The midfielder gradually slipped down the pecking order at Old Trafford in 2020 and he was sent out on loan to West Ham where he produced some of the best form of his career - scoring nine goals in 16 appearances.

Lingard was heavily linked with a move back to West Ham after this success but he instead remained at Man Utd to see out the final year of his contract. An unsuccessful one-year stint at Nottingham Forest followed and he has been a free agent since the end of last season.

Over the summer it was expected that Lingard would revive his career back at the London Stadium. David Moyes told The Athletic that Lingard was back in training with the Hammers ahead of a proposed move and even stated that his fitness had improved hugely.

Speaking earlier this month, Moyes said: “Jesse’s doing quite well and he’s getting his shape back. But there will be no discussion on Jesse just yet. When we’re ready, we will do; but he’s working hard and he’s shown a great attitude to his work. It’s taken a bit of time to get him back into condition.”

Reports at the time suggested that a deal was imminent, but such a move has not materialised and Lingard now appears to have turned his attention elsewhere. Al-Ettifaq shared a post on their social media which showed Lingard in action. The caption reads: “Enjoy Ettifaq’s Wednesday night session featuring a new face’.

The ex-United man will have a limited amount of time to impress Gerrard and if the move does go through he will be reunited with a former England team mate in Jordan Henderson. Al-Ettifaq are currently fourth in the Saudi Pro League with five wins from their opening seven matches and Lingard’s signature could propel them to a title push.