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Saturday 14 December 2019 07:08, UK
Jesse Lingard has revealed how a heart-to-heart with Manchester United boss Ole Gunnar Solskjaer helped give him a second chance to kick-start his season.
The 26-year-old midfielder found himself taking on more family responsibilities for his younger brother and sister after his mother fell ill.
Lingard admits the extra burden had impacted on his playing performances during the first part of the current campaign.
However, after opening up to Solskjaer and making a return to form, the midfielder is looking forward to tackling the challenges ahead.
"I am normally quite bubbly and want to put smiles on people's faces, but people have seen the change in my ways," Lingard told the Daily Mail.
"I have been down and glum; just worrying. I felt like everybody just passed all the stuff to me and it weighed on my shoulders. It was like, 'here you go Jesse, you deal with this on your own'.
"I wasn't performing and he was on me all the time. He (Solskjaer) wanted more from me. I felt it was best to get everything off my chest and tell him why my head wasn't right, so I knocked on his door."
The England international feels he can now focus on playing again, adding: "When I came on the manager said to me, 'just go on and play with a smile and enjoy it' - to hear that gives you confidence.
"He knows what kind of character I am. I need to be smiling. He has just told me that everything will be OK. Maybe I just needed someone to say that. He said he just wanted the old Jesse back and maybe I can give him that now.
"As a man I have to take this responsibility on and be there for everyone. I've had to mature and wise up. Sometimes when your worries are so deep you can't function properly.
"Now it's about getting back to my best and I feel I can do that."
