Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard joins Derby County on-loan after signing new contract at Old Trafford

Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard has left the club to join Derby County on-loan for the rest of the season.

"Manchester United attacking midfielder Jesse Lingard has joined Derby County on loan until the end of the season," a statement on United's official site read.

The 22-year-old midfielder, who has come through the youth ranks at Old Trafford, has spent the last two seasons on loan with Championship clubs Leicester City, Birmingham City and Brighton and Hove Albion.

This season, however, he was included in the first-team and was part of the Red Devils' pre-season tour to the US, where his impressive performance saw him make his debut for the senior team in United's first game of the season, but the midfielder suffered a knee injury and was subbed off after 24 minutes.

That was his first and only appearance in the senior side and following his return from injury last month, he was part of the squad that faced Yeovil Town in the FA Cup, but failed to get off the bench.

Louis van Gaal rates the youngster and hence has sent him out on loan to promotion-chasing Derby County for valuable experience. Moreover, the manager has shown further faith in the youngster by offering him a new contract until the summer of 2018, which Lingard signed before completing his loan move to the Championship outfit.

The Rams manager Steve McClaren is delighted to have signed the young midfielder on-loan for the rest of the season. The manager feels that he needed to strengthen after losing key players like Jordan Ibe and Johnny Russel. The former, who was on loan from Liverpool, was called back after some impressive performances for Derby in the first-half of the season.

"Jesse Lingard is an exciting talent and someone that we are looking forward to working with," McLaren said, as quoted on Derby's official site.

"He strengthens the attacking options that we can call upon and given we've lost Jordon Ibe and Johnny Russell in the last few weeks it was important to strengthen in that particular area of the side," the former England manager added.