Jesse Lingard defends decision to join Nottingham Forest following Jamie Carragher’s criticism

Jesse Lingard defends his choice to join Nottingham Forest, following Jamie Carragher’s claim that he joined for the money.

The former Premier League defender and now Sky Sports pundit has recently criticised Lingard’s decision to join Forest, saying he can’t believe he chose to join Forest over West Ham this summer.

The 29-year-old attacker joined Forest from United on a free this summer, despite having the chance to join the Hammers.

Lingard spent a highly successful six months on loan to West Ham at the end of last season, scoring nine goals and assisting with 5 in 16 Premier League appearances. Many fans believed the 29-year-old would permanently return to the London stadium this summer.

However, the former Manchester United star opted to join Forest on a one-year deal with an option for a second instead.

His decision has sparked plenty of criticism, and Carragher wasn’t afraid to voice his opinion when speaking on Overlap Fan Debate saying:

“He [Jesse Lingard] went there [Nottingham Forest] for the money. I love Nottingham Forest that they are back,”

“If any footballer is picking Nottingham Forest right now, before West Ham and what they’ve done in the last two or three years, they’ve obviously gone there for a few quid. And, the fact that he’s only signed for a year means that next year on a free or Bosman [ruling]. There’s a good chance Forest could go down, but it puts Jesse Lingard in a good position if he gets eight to ten goals for them.

“But, if West Ham want you right now, I can’t believe he never went to West Ham. It’s brilliant for Nottingham Forest.”

While many football fans would agree with the former Liverpool player’s point, Lingard insists that isn’t the case and defended his decision to join Forest during an appearance on Soccer AM (as quoted by the Daily Mail):

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“I could’ve gone abroad for a lot more money, life-changing money,’ he said when asked about his switch to the East Midlands. ‘For me it’s nonsense, I don’t like to read into a lot of stuff too much, it was my decision.

“The owners were very strong in their approach and went overboard and when I saw that kind of appreciation it’s hard to say no. I WhatsApp them and it’s like a family.

“They’ve showed me so much love getting here in the first place and that was one of the most importance factors.”

However, it’s hard to believe that money didn’t play a part in Lingard’s decision, especially after such a successful six months at West Ham.