Jesse Lingard has praised the return of Paul Pogba after Manchester United’s treble-winning season.
The Red Devils won the Community Shield, the EFL Cup and the Europa League in their first campaign under Jose Mourinho, as well as qualifying for next season’s Champions League.
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Lingard, who was in United’s youth setup with Pogba for three years before the Frenchman left for Juventus, said the £89 million man’s energy rubbed off on the entire team.
“He has settled back in,” Lingard told Sky Sports.
“He is a fun, vibrant lad and he gives a lot of good energy off, especially in the changing room.
“He can make the atmosphere very good before games and really get you on it.”
Lingard, who scored in both the Community Shield and the EFL Cup final, was also keen to praise the impact of Marcus Rashford – another player he grew up with.
“It helps because you are used to each other,” he said.
“With Marcus, I know he can run in behind so my first thought is to put the ball in behind.
“You work to each other’s strengths.”
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Having been part of the club since he was seven years old, Lingard also said it’s only right that he now takes on the role of mentoring young players who are in the position he was in:
“I’m 25 this year and there are obviously a lot of good youngsters coming through and it’s good that I can be there to advise them,” he added.
“It’s a great atmosphere. It is like playing with your friends in the park but obviously with an objective to win the game so you can get the best of both worlds with that.”