West Ham transfer target Jesse Lingard told he is wasting his career at Manchester United

Jesse Lingard is wasting his career by remaining at Manchester United, according to former England international Paul Parker.

Following a successful loan spell at West Ham, Lingard returned to Old Trafford with the promise of regular first-team involvement under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer. As it turned out the arrival of Jadon Sancho and Cristiano Ronaldo saw Lingard fall further down the United pecking order and his opportunities were limited as a result.

Since Ralf Rangnick was appointed interim manager at Old Trafford, Lingard's involvement has been limited to one minute in the league and a five minute FA Cup appearance.

Newcastle United are interested in taking Lingard to St James' Park for the remainder of the season whilst Tottenham and West Ham have had their overtures knocked back as United do not want to strengthen a rival.

Former Manchester United defender Parker believes that Lingard has a point to prove and needs a transfer to get his career back on track.

"Sitting at the bench for United is what he's done up until now from when he was at loan at West Ham has been absolutely ridiculous. It's been a waste of his career," Parker told MyBettingSites.

"If he's been content with it, then there's got to be something wrong where you haven't shown a desire to want to play football and are content with being on the bench. What's happened to your personal pride, your ego of wanting to play football and getting the adulation that comes with a win - what he got when he was at West Ham."

Parker feels that Lingard should have pushed for a move to West Ham in the summer instead of returning to Manchester United.

"They (West Ham fans) still talk about what he did. They saw him as the person who got them on the road to where they