Lingard will "regret" Forest move as "there’s only one reason he’s there"
Jesse Lingard will "regret" his decision to join newly-promoted Nottingham Forest over West Ham this summer, ex-Premier League defender Glen Johnson insists.
Lingard signed an unorthodox one-year deal at Forest where he'll earn a reported £200,000-a-week, despite the fact David Moyes' high-flying Hammers were keen to re-sign him following his successful loan spell at the club last year on a longer deal.
Johnson, who began his career at West Ham, hit out at the former Manchester United star, accusing him of following the money and having a "short-term mentality".
READ MORE: Jesse Lingard joins Nottingham Forest on £200k-a-week deal – but only for 12 months
"He’s ended up at Nottingham Forest because they paid him more money. There’s no two ways about it," Johnson told The Games Cabin.
"It’s not like he’s from Nottingham or is a Forest fan, I have no other words I can say about the move as there’s only one reason why he’s ended up there.
"He’ll 100% regret not making the move to West Ham. To be honest, his move to Forest highlights a short-term mentality. He’s gone on a one-year deal and will earn about £20,000 more a week, when instead he could have gone to West Ham on a three-year deal and been playing in Europe," the 37-year-old added.
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Having spent the past two seasons warming the bench at Old Trafford, Lingard was keen for a move away to be in with a fighting chance of making Gareth Southgate's England squad for the Qatar World Cup later this year.
Facing the same situation ahead of the Euros 18 months ago, Lingard joined West Ham on loan and netted nine goals in 16 games to claw his way back into contention for selection – though he failed to make the final 23-man squad.
Furious at getting rejected by their former hero, Hammers fans are reportedly planning to throw wads of fake cash at Lingard when their side take on Forest in the Premier League next season.
Johnson made over 400 appearances in the Premier League across spells with West Ham, Chelsea, Portsmouth, Liverpool and Stoke, before retiring in 2018. He also wracked up over 50 caps for England, turning out for the Three Lions at three major tournaments.
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