Lingard says he turned to alcohol in final days at United

Jesse Lingard says he turned to alcohol to help him cope with life at Manchester United.

The 30-year-old England midfielder left the club in the summer after 23 years on a free transfer to promoted side Nottingham Forest.

On top of his professional struggles, Lingard said his mother's crippling depression meant that he also was caring for his two younger siblings.

"I needed something to try and take the pain away," Lingard said on the Diary of a CEO podcast with Steve Bartlett, "and put me at ease somehow. I was drinking before bed, having a nightcap. I look back now and think, 'What was I doing that for?' I was trying to forget what was going on. But it makes it 10 times worse."

Lingard says that his mother had to be admitted to hospital in 2019, leaving his siblings in his care, something that he admits didn't satisfy any party.

"The depression was so bad she couldn't really cope any more and she needed to go away and get help," Lingard said. "But leaving me with my little sister, who was 11 at the time, and my little brother, who was 15, for me, I was still going through my own things, as well. So I wasn't really the big brother they wanted at the time. I just wasn't there mentally."

Originally having signed with United at age 7, Lingard worked his way up to the first team and made his senior debut on loan with Leicester City in 2012. After further loan spells at Birmingham City, Brighton and Derby County, Lingard finally broke into the senior team in 2015-2016, but had fallen down the Old Trafford pecking order by 2019-2020.

Lingard credits former United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer with helping him deal with abuse from supporters in his final years at the club.

"To be abused like that tipped it," Lingard said. "I didn't want to be on the pitch, I didn't want to play. I didn't want to quit football. I never would have quit football, but I needed a break. We kept it close-knit, but even just to have Ole say, 'How is your mum? How is she doing?' helped to let people know what I was going through."

Lingard only made four starts in his final season at United in 2021-2022. While he was offered a new deal at Old Trafford, he opted to leave.

"People probably thought I was happy to leave, but I needed to leave," he said. "I wasn't playing. I got offered a contract, but what's the point? I wasn't going to play. Yeah, it's the biggest club in the world, but happiness is more important for me."

While Lingard says he's happy with the new challenge at Forest, he wishes things ended on a better note at United.

"I didn't really get a send-off," Lingard said. "I had been there that long and think I deserved one. I had been there all my life and I know everyone in the club from the staff to the kit men to the dinner ladies. That had been my life."

Lingard returned to Old Trafford with Forest on Dec. 28 in a 3-0 loss. He received a standing ovation when subbed off in the 53rd minute.