Jesse Lingard has hit back at Manchester United manager Ole Gunnar Solskjaer for failing to use him last season.

The 28-year-old barely played for United after the coronavirus shutdown last year, and was eventually loaned to West Ham United last month.

But Lingard insists he deserved a chance at Old Trafford as he returned as 'one of the strongest and fittest after lockdown'.

He told BT Sport: "During the lockdown I recapped my best moments playing football – the season under Jose [Mourinho] where I scored all of those goals and went to the World Cup and the season when Ole came in and I started well.

"So I started recapping a lot of games to see where I did well, getting that fire in my belly and drive again to go and kick on because it would have been easy for me to fall off and take the easy option out.

"But a person like me who's been through a lot and knows the game, I can't just give it up like and I'll always go out with a fight.

"I came back one of the strongest and fittest after the lockdown and I didn't get my chance that I was waiting on.

"But the whole time I was there and not playing I was doing extra training and keeping on top of my fitness for when the time was right.

"So for me it's about working hard and staying dedicated, and I went back to basics."