English football has a knack of writing off its young talents too quickly. If they're not holding down a first team spot at a major club by the time they're 22, they're usually deemed as being unable to ever reach the realms of top-class - and often come under huge criticism as a consequence.But no two individuals are ever completely the same, and we shouldn't expect young footballers to take exactly the same journey of development. The idea of one size fitting all just doesn't make sense in such a diverse sport and some footballers, like Manchester United's Jesse Lingard, inevitably take longer than others to realise the full extremities of their ability.Indeed, Lingard has split opinion amongst United supporters and the wider Premier League audience practically ever since he became a first-team regular under Louis van Gaal. While the Red Devils' last two permanent managers and the current England boss have all demonstrated recurring faith in the attacking midfielder, many have questioned his quality and consistency.Now aged 25, however, the Three Lions midfielder is finally starting to hit peak form, with seven goals and two assists in his last nine Premier League appearances, and he delivered yet another impressive showing on New Year's Day as Manchester United fought their way to a 2-0 win over Everton at Goodison Park.It was Lingard's 81st minute strike, a right-footed curler from the edge of the box, that sealed the victory for the Red Devils. But that was just the icing on the cake amid another incredibly productive display from United's academy product. He finished up with the most efforts at goal of any United player, while recording the most dribbles, winning the most fouls and completing 86% of his passes.The strange thing, however, is that Lingard's late rise to prominence was predicted by another of his former managers - the great Sir Alex Ferguson. As quoted by Manchester Evening News and discussed by one United fan on Twitter, the Scot said back in 2012...

It just goes to show that a little patience can go a long way in English football.

https://video.footballfancast.com/video-2015/mike-dean.mp4