Jesse Lingard is Manchester United’s new Ji-Sung Park

As modern footballers come, Jesse Lingard is about as modern as they get. Not only does the Manchester United attacker command the kind of Instagram and Snapchat audiences usually reserved for a Made in Chelsea cast member or a Kardashian he is emblematic of how the game has changed over the past decade or so.

The 23-year-old excels in adaptability and versatility, making him crucially important for both club and country, making his first competitive start for England in last week’s World Cup qualification win over Malta. Lingard isn’t particularly exceptional at any thing, thriving as the ultimate all-rounder instead.

With no clear stylistic traits or strengths Lingard’s worth isn’t always valued by everyone. He might well have fallen from the sport’s top level 20 years ago, with English football now thankfully more understanding of the movement, positioning and tactical significance Lingard brings to any given game.

He is a player for the here and now, although there is one player who provides a precedent for the kind of figure Lingard is quickly becoming at Old Trafford. Ji-Sung Park was a similar kind of player for Man Utd, often going unnoticed in his valuable contribution to a team that won everything going in England and on the continent.

Just like Lingard, Park was a man for the big occasion. Sir Alex Ferguson turned to the South Korean in the big games, recognising how his movement and positioning could help stretch and pull opposition teams of a higher caliber. Jose Mourinho now does the same thing with Lingard, with the 23-year-old surely set to face Liverpool at Anfield on Monday.

As examples go, Park’s is a solid one for Lingard to follow. The South Korean might never have won a Ballon d’Or or made the front cover of FIFA, but his hard work and team work made him a favourite at Old Trafford. Park finally left in 2012 after seven years at the club having won four Premier League titles, three League Cups, a Champions League and a FIFA Club World Cup in his time there. Lingard would surely be satisfied if he achieved even half that trophy haul.

Of course, Lingard is more of a natural goal threat than Park ever was. The South Korean only scored 19 goals in 134 appearances for United, instead creating space for other more attacking-minded teammates to make the most of. Lingard also does this, but is more adept at breaking into that space himself, as he did to score Man Utd’s winner in last season’s FA Cup final against Crystal Palace.

Park could play anywhere across the midfield or attacking line, just like Lingard, with Mourinho recognising his versatility early on in his Man Utd tenure. The Portuguese coach has built a career on adaptability and Lingard has become the embodiment of that at Old Trafford this season.

Perhaps the greatest illustration of Lingard’s quality can be found in the stature of the players he is currently keeping out the Man Utd starting lineup. Henrikh Mkhitaryan, for example, was expected to make quite the impact in the Premier League this season, joining from Borussia Dortmund as the incumbent Bundesliga player of the year. Yet the Armenian has largely had to make do with sparse cameo appearances from the bench for United. Lingard has been favoured ahead of him.

Memphis Depay - not so long ago considered one of the brightest young talents in European football - is another currently planted on the United bench as a consequence of Lingard’s form, with Mourinho now making a point of finding a place in his lineup for his tactical and positional lynchpin. Ferguson used to do the same thing with Park.

It won’t be long before Lingard is considered just as important for England, with Gareth Southgate hailing his influence in the win over Malta. “He is an exciting player and the stage was made for him,” the interim England boss gushed. “He’s enjoyed Wembley, scored twice here in past for Manchester United, and I thought he had a very good game.”

And so despite his unorthodox route to this stage, going out on loan no fewer than four times over the course of his still fledgling career, Lingard has become a key figure for both club and country. United have seen his likes before, but that doesn’t make him any less important. In fact, it underlines his value.