Gabby Agbonlahor has defended after Jesse Lingard’s brother hit out at the club for not giving his sibling a send-off at Old Trafford.
Lingard, 29, is set to leave the Red Devils at the end of the season with his contract running out and little prospect of a new deal being agreed between him and the club,
Monday’s Premier League match against Brentford was the Englishman’s last chance to say goodbye to the home fans at Old Trafford but interim manager chose not to introduce him off the bench.
As a result, Lingard’s brother Louis Scott blasted the club on Instagram for being ‘classless’ with other departing stars Juan Mata and given the chance to bid farewell.
However, Agbonlahor, the former Aston Villa forward, believes Rangnick was right to shun Lingard as the player has performed poorly this season.
Speaking to , he said: ‘I don’t agree at all with him (Lingard’s brother). He’s been there for 20-years and had some good times and bad times there but he turned down a new contract.
‘It’s not like the club haven’t offered him a new contract and forced him out. He’s not signed a new contract.
‘Lingard hasn’t looked like he wanted to play for Man United this season when he’s come on. He hasn’t shown any hunger in the games that he’s played recently.
‘He’s the one who turned down a contract so why should the club give him a send off? His brother is out of line there and it’s not Man United’s job to give every player who is leaving a start in the last home game. It doesn’t work like that.’
Lingard has spent over 20 years at United since joining the club’s academy as a youngster.
After enjoying a long run in the team under Jose Mourinho, he fell out-of-favour under Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
Last season, he was sent out on-loan to West Ham and performed well, scoring nine goals in 16 Premier League games.
But the winger failed to break into United’s first-team this term and was close to joining Newcastle on a six-month loan deal in January.
In his time with the Manchester giants, Lingard has won the Europa League, an FA Cup and a League Cup.
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