Manchester United Star Slammed Paul Parker: Start Becoming Footballer Instead Of 'Mr. Instagram'

Former Manchester United defender Paul Parker has slammed Jesse Lingard, asking him to "stop taking pictures and start becoming a footballer".

Parker called Lingard "Mr. Instagram" and said that the English forward needs to prove himself as a soccer player by leaving Manchester United.

Lingard has been a Red Devil for over two decades and has made 224 appearances for the first team. Over the years, Lingard has not been a regular member of the senior side and it seems his stint with his boyhood club is coming to an end. With his current contract due to expire in the 2022 summer, Lingard has not signed an extension yet.

"I think Jesse Lingard needs to go. He’s almost 30. You can’t just be one of the names at Manchester United and be ‘Mr. Instagram’ around all these big names at a big club. He’s got to go out and prove that he wants to play football and he doesn’t need Manchester United around him. He needs to stop taking pictures and start becoming a footballer," Parker was quoted by Teamtalk, as saying in an interview.

Due to lack of game time, Lingard had convinced Ole Gunnar Solskjaer to allow him to go on loan to West Ham in the second half of last season – a move that turned out to be great for the English forward.

Lingard netted nine goals and five assists in 16 league matches for West Ham and helped the Hammers finish sixth in the 2020-21 Premier League table. That brought the club back to European soccer as West Ham are competing in the Europa League this campaign.

While West Ham are more than willing to sign Lingard on a permanent basis, Manchester United do not want to lose their talented academy player to a top-four rival.

Lingard is also being linked to Newcastle United, who are looking to revamp their side for the next season. The St. James Park side is prepared to pay a loan fee to the Red Devils to secure Lingard for the remainder 2021-22 campaign. However, Manchester United are yet to respond to the proposal, according to Sky Sports.

"If it means going to Newcastle, they can demand even more from him because he comes from Manchester United, good for him. They’re going to demand more from him because it seems that he wants to be Mr. Social Media and he’s going to have to demand more from himself," added Parker in the same interview.

In the ongoing season, Lingard has made 14 competitive appearances for Manchester United, including nine in the Premier League. While he is yet to start a league game this term, he has managed to clock only 88 minutes in the English top-flight. With 38 points in 22 games, the Red Devils are placed fourth in the league table.