For much of the 2019-20 Premier League season, Jesse Lingard struggled for form.
But now, the Manchester United midfielder feels as if he is getting back to his best. Ole Gunnar Solksjaer's side rounded off their Premier League campaign with a 2-0 win over Leicester, and Lingard got himself on the scoresheet in the process.
"At the start of the season, I had a few off the field issues that I had to deal with privately," Lingard said.
"Obviously I spoke to the manager about it and he understood. When I was playing, I wasn't fully concentrated, and I was thinking about different things in the back of my head."
United's win over Leicester guaranteed Champions League football for next season, concluding what was an impressive post-lockdown period for the Old Trafford side.
You'd be forgiven for thinking that living under lockdown with no game time would be immensely frustrating for a footballer. But Lingard says it allowed him to refocus, learn new skills and fine tune his diet.
"I wasn't really mentally ready to play, so lockdown came at a good time for me.
"During lockdown I was still living in Manchester, and I've been doing a lot of 5k and 10k runs. And, obviously, eating the right food.
"I've also learned to cook during lockdown. It was a bit new for me but I'm learning to like cooking when I'm at home and keeping my mind in a good state."
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Lingard has been learning how to cook, with help from his personal chef and sports nutritionist Nigel Mitchell.
Jesse Lingard's Match Day Diet
Although Manchester United train most days, match day nutrition is the most important.
Lingard works with a team of chefs and nutritionists to ensure he is fuelled with an optimal breakdown of protein, carbs, fats and micronutrients (vitamins, minerals etc.)
This is everything Lingard eats on a typical match day, assuming kick-off time is 3pm on a Saturday.
- Breakfast: Two slices of toast, banana, three egg omelette with vegetables
- Lunch: Spaghetti bolognese or steak and rice
- Post-match: Chicken and pasta with homemade tomato sauce
- Snacks: Protein shake twice a day, handful of pistachio nuts three times per day
Jesse Lingard is an ambassador for American Pistachio Growers
