The cost of lodging and transport for Jesse Lingard’s disappointing trial stay at West Ham came to thousands of pounds.
The former Manchester United midfielder was training with the club earlier this month, according to Hammers manager David Moyes, who also expressed optimism about the 30-year-old receiving a short-term deal from the team. His West Ham trial is thought to have lasted six weeks in total.
However, no deal was made, and Lingard finished his stay there before starting to train with Al-Ettifaq of the Saudi Pro League. They are the team under Steven Gerrard’s management, and as a result of their ambitious spending this summer, players including Jordan Henderson, Moussa Dembele, Georginio Wijnaldum, and Demarai Gray have joined.
As a result of the agreement, West Ham is out of pocket because they covered all of Lingard’s travel expenses during his six weeks at the club and paid for a hotel room for him. The 30-year-old former Man United star admitted guilt and received a six-month driving sentence earlier this summer after providing police with a false name after being pulled over for speeding. A camera on the A56 caught mirror Lingard over the speed limit last year. After hearing that he supplied police the identity of a man who “does not exist” and an address that is “believed to be a car park” after receiving the speeding ticket at his home near Altrincham, Manchester Magistrates’ Court rendered the verdict in July.
Prior to joining the Hammers as a trialist, Lingard spent time training with two MLS clubs. However, DC United – managed by Wayne Rooney – did not take up the option to sign the former England international while Inter Miami also passed up on the opportunity to sign him.
Lingard was released by Nottingham Forest at the end of June following one season at the City Ground. The former England international starred for the Hammers during a loan spell in the second half of the 2020-21 campaign, when he scored nine goals in 16 appearances.While it was expected he would come on a permanent basis from Manchester United, where his contract was set to expire the following year, that purple patch almost helped the East London team qualify for the Champions League that season.
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