Nottingham Forest manager, Steve Cooper talks about Jesse Lingard's Old Trafford return

Jesse Lingard, a former midfielder for Manchester United, will have a memorable day on Tuesday. It will be a sentimental moment for the Nottingham Forest player as he returns to the club where his football career began, despite the fact that he left the organization under a cloud in the summer.

Jesse Lingard will face Manchester United for the first time since leaving Old Trafford in the summer.

Even if it had more lows than highs, his 232 games for the Red Devils during which he scored 35 goals and provided 21 assists will always be remembered as the apex of his career.

While at United, Lingard won the FA Cup, EFL Cup, and Europa League. He chose to sign a one-year contract with Nottingham Forest instead of staying with the team after his contract expired. Since then, he has scored twice in 15 games, however neither goal has come for his new team in the Premier League. When Forest visits Old Trafford on Tuesday night, United supporters will hope that doesn't change.

Although Forest manager Steve Cooper stated that Lingard will hold the team in "essential" regard, he doesn't think the player needs any more inspiration to perform well when facing his previous team.

“I hope we’re all motivated to go to Old Trafford and play well. Jesse was there a long time so it will be an important day for him," Steve Cooper told reporters on Friday (via Manchester Evening News).

“At the same time he and everybody else need to focus on what we are in control of and that is the performance. Whatever team we decide to go with, the guys that start the game and the guys that finish the game have to concentrate on what it takes to do well on the day.

“Jesse has experience, he’s played in big occasions before and he’ll know that the best thing to do is to concentrate on the football. If he’s selected to play that’s what he needs to do.”

It will be an unique occasion for both the home and away supporters because United hasn't played Forest since 1999. Many may be startled to find that Old Trafford still looks the same because it has been a while since they have been.