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Jesse Lingard determined to end the season with a piece of silverware

The Europa League will serve as Manchester United’s last chance at earning some silverware this season. Whilst a third place finish in the Premier League is a just cause for celebration, given the context of recent years, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer will still be keen to get his hands on that first trophy as United manager.

We could see the Norwegian still take the competition quite seriously with his starting XIs, but heavy rotation is expected tonight. The Red Devils possess a 5-0 aggregate lead over Austrian side LASK, meaning barring an absolute calamity, their spot in the quarter-finals is all but confirmed.

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Tonight will provide as an opportunity for some of the academy and fringe figures to try and impress. One name that will be looking to do so will be Jesse Lingard, with Solskjaer already confirming his starting position. The Englishman has overcome hardships this season, most notably off the field, but capped off the campaign with a goal at Leicester City, confirming United’s spot in next season’s Champions League.

It was an emotional moment for the 27-year-old, who has been reflecting on the situation with the club’s official site. He said: “I’ve worked hard since lockdown and little things like that with the goal, pressing them in the last minute, you get your rewards for all the hard work you’ve done.

“Of course it’s given me confidence and spurred me on, and I’m just looking forward to playing again and getting back out there on the pitch and helping the team.”

Ahead of tonight’s fixture, Lingard has revealed that he is fired up. He is keen to add another trophy to his cabinet, showcasing a determination to do exactly that: “We as Man United want to win trophies, and the Europa League is a special tournament and we want to come away from the season with silverware under our belt.”

The Englishman was part of the Europa League winning squad back in 2017, coming off the bench during the 2-1 win over Ajax in Stockholm. It was Lingard’s third major trophy in United colours, and he is keen to finish this season off with that same winning feeling.

“The best feelings of being a footballer is to lift silverware,” he continued. “We’ve already lifted the Europa League and had that experience and it took a lot of hard work. The team stuck together through the hard times and the good ones, and we got through it in the end, and I don’t see why we can’t win it again.”

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