No playing time - literally.
Jesse Lingard did not play a single minute for the English big club Manchester United last year.
And self-confidence was affected.
- You can be that happy guy who jumps around on the training field, but deep down you carry the smile like a mask, Lingard says to the Daily Mail.
- I did not play so I was down.
Wanted to leave England
When Lingard was at his worst, he considered leaving England and moving to a place where he could only concentrate on football. But when the country was quarantined, he thought differently.
- I wanted to put all the pieces together and show everyone what I can do.
The Englishman was then loaned out to West Ham - and the stay was successful.
He scored two goals against Aston Villa in his debut, then there were nine goals and five assists in 16 games.
Changed as a person
Since the tough times, Lingard has changed as a person, he says himself.
- I dropped my head so much that I started drinking to relieve the pain.
He turned to his family to talk about the worries and it helped.
- I'm back with full confidence.
I have returned from a successful loan, player of the month, goal of the month, to go with England.
It shows how far I have come.
On Saturday, he starts the season with Manchester United.
The team plays its premiere match against Leeds, at 13.30.