Manchester United have found a surprising new solution at No.10

By Ciaran Kelly

Man Utd player Jesse Lingard has stepped up at No.10 and proved he has the quality to be a huge player for Jose Mourinho.

There is no doubt that Henrikh Mkhitaryan spent his day off diligently putting in the hours on the treadmill, away from the cameras, as he looks to somehow win back his place under Jose Mourinho. Again.

But Jesse Lingard has a firm grip on the No.10 position and it has been a slight tweak in the role, as a shuttler rather than a ponderous playmaker, which is paying dividends following Mourinho's shift to 3-5-2.

Lingard is capable of closing down the opposition's influential defensive midfielder, cutting off the oxygen supply at the same time, and is at the heart of Mourinho's trademark transitions, winning the ball back quickly and breaking at pace.

The England international ticks both boxes in that regard, working on his once wild finishing at training, and that ability to 'flick the switch' away from home has been particularly useful.

It is not an exaggeration to say that Lingard helps Mourinho's formation tick, almost as an extra man when Romelu Lukaku and Anthony Martial/Marcus Rashford have their back to goal.

As much as he can perform a tactical role, the 24-year-old thrives on instinct, timing his runs into the box and reaping the rewards of Lukaku's hold-up play.

That wonder goal against Watford was the perfect example. As some away fans urged him to play Lukaku in, Lingard just kept on going. And going. And going.

And, yet, within 24 hours the goal was effectively forgotten. Not to mention Lingard's choreographed tribute to Hercules in celebration. Perhaps, there lies the issue for one of the few Englishmen in the 17-25 age category not to fall victim to the hype train.

Lingard's personality appears to have evolved a little quicker than Lingard the footballer. The idea of him practising his latest Milly Rock offering in his London hotel room on the eve of the Arsenal game is hardly far-fetched.

Mourinho, more than most, has had to get used to his millennials using social media when a tactical chalkboard could be within view and Lingard has often been the scapegoat for outsiders.

Yet, he is hardly the most prolific of United's players on social media. Lingard has made 390 posts on Instagram since signing up in February, 2015. That is the equivalent of one every two-and-a-half days.

Amid that backlash, he has shown heart and resolve. When things have not quite gone to plan - last season's Manchester derby and this season's shock defeat to Huddersfield both spring to mind - he has bounced back.

Much was made of Marcus Rashford's high-profile trip to the Nike World Campus in the summer but his best friend, Lingard, was also enlisting the help of a personal trainer, one Wayne Richardson, to give him a head start.

The reality is he is no longer a cheeky 19-year-old; Lingard is three months older than Paul Pogba and turns 25 in just two weeks' time.

As he looks to finally nail down a place in United's starting line-up, it remains to be seen what happens in the summer when Mourinho will target a marquee forward.

But Lingard is certainly giving him food for thought.