Loan spell at Derby helped Lingard mature into a mainstay at Manchester United, says Eric Steele

Eric Steele will have divided loyalties when Manchester United entertain Derby County in the FA Cup third round at Old Trafford on Friday evening. Steele, 63 the current goalkeeping coach for the England Under 20s who won the European Championship last year, has long lived near Derby, a club he has worked at three times in his career, most recently after leaving Manchester United in 2013.

Between 2008 and 2013, Steele was the man who recommended United sign David de Gea to replace Edwin van der Sar and who trained with the Spanish goalkeeper every day. Back at Derby, and working with former United assistant manager Steve McClaren in 2015, he was asked his opinion when the Championship club mulled over a loan bid for United midfielder Jesse Lingard in 2015. He got it right with both players.

“Steve [McClaren] knew I’d been at Old Trafford when Jesse was coming through the youth set-up,” Steele says. “We had a good, settled team at Derby, but when you go into the last part of the season in a 24-team league, you sometimes need a boost. We needed someone who could play in two or three positions and that’s what impressed us about Jesse. He could play wide; he could play as a No 10. We also knew that he was going to have limited opportunities at United.

“Jesse came and he was a bit unfortunate that the side was settled, but he was so comfortable and confident on the ball. He had an unbelievable appetite to help people, he was driven and talented. He could see passes that others couldn’t.

“The difference between then and now is that he’s matured, he scores goals and he’s now in the full England set up. He also expresses himself further up the field, he gets in behind the 9 where he can affect the game. He’s a very talented footballer with good energy and good legs and I like the fact he accepts the ball when there’s pressure on him. When you see the goals he’s scored, you can see why he’s becoming a mainstay for Jose [Mourinho].”

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Lingard – and United – used the loan system well. The player who grew up 10 miles from United’s Carrington training ground also went on loan to Birmingham City, Leicester City and Brighton & Hove Albion when all were outside the Premier League.

“There’s a skill to where you go on loan when you’re at Manchester United to improve yourself,” Steele says. “It has to be good for the parent club to improve the player. The loan moves Jesse made helped prepare him for the player we see now. He gained great experience on loan – as a player and a person – but he always wanted to go back to United and he was a success when he did. To score the goal in the [2016] FA Cup final was the start of his rise at United.”

Steele still sees Lingard when he comes to St George’s Park with the senior England team.

“He’s a lively lad, very bubbly and doesn’t go very far without [Marcus] Rashford,” he says. “There’s a good friendship and loyalty there. To come through the United youth ranks and make the first team is a huge achievement. It’s good for England too when we get our young English players playing regular Premier League football.”