Nathan Okell checks out the recent progress of Warrington's professional footballers

UNDER new manager Ole Gunnar Solskjær, Manchester United’s Jesse Lingard has been an integral figure in his side’s upturn in form.

He has played a lot of minutes in seven of the Norwegian's 11 games in charge.

The Longford-born attacker was rested for Saturday’s away trip to Fulham, with Lingard expected to play a big role in the first leg of United’s Champions League round 16 clash with Paris Saint-Germain at Old Trafford tomorrow.

Warrington Guardian:

Manchester United's Jesse Lingard (right) and Leicester City's Jonny Evans battle for the ball during the Premier League match at the King Power Stadium, Leicester, earier this month. Picture: Mike Egerton/PA Wire

A former Penketh United junior and William Beamont High School pupil, Lingard scored the second goal in his team’s 3-1 FA Cup victory away against Arsenal just over two weeks ago and put two past Cardiff in Solskjær’s first game in charge at Cardiff.

Bournemouth’s David Brooks is currently sidelined with an ankle injury, but is hoping to be back in the coming weeks for the Cherries ahead of Premier League games against Wolves and away at Arsenal.

The attacker hobbled off after celebrating his goal in a 4-0 rout of Chelsea less than a fortnight ago, having found the net for the first time in seven matches.

Warrington Guardian:

Bournemouth's David Brooks (right) celebrates scoring his side's second goal of the game against Chelsea last month. Picture: Andrew Matthews/PA Wire.

Despite this goalless streak, Warrington-born Brooks has taken the division by storm since arriving in an £11.5m move from Sheffield United, and rumours have surfaced recently about a £50m transfer to Tottenham in the summer window.

It’s fair to say that Huddersfield’s Tommy Smith did not feature as much as he would have liked under David Wagner, however the defender has played the full 90 minutes in two of the Terriers’ three league games with new manager Jan Siewert at the helm.

Despite this, the defender has not been able to improve his side’s fortunes, with the Yorkshire team falling to a 5-0 loss to Chelsea at Stamford Bridge, and a 2-1 home defeat to Arsenal last Saturday.

Warrington Guardian:

Huddersfield Town's Tommy Smith (left) and Arsenal's Sead Kolasinac battle for the ball. Picture: Mike Egerton/PA Wire

Aston Villa defender James Chester’s place as first choice centre back could be at risk in the coming games due to a mixture of injury and luck.

The ex-Birchwood High pupil opened the scoring in Villa’s 2-2 home draw with Hull, but was then rested by manager Dean Smith, after being plagued with a knee injury causing him pain in the previous weeks.

Since then, Villa have signed Tyrone Mings on loan from Bournemouth until the end of the season. Mings has started the last two and could be Smith’s preferred option over the former Winwick junior.

Great Sankey’s Matthew Pennington has enjoyed a run of 25 full games out of 27 for his on-loan club Ipswich, including their recent East Anglian derby defeat against Norwich.

Although he has found regular game time following his move from Everton, the former St Gregory’s pupil has only tasted victory three times.

Another player enjoying an extended run in a first team is Bristol City’s Josh Brownhill, who has played the full game in 12 of his club’s last 13.

The former Birchwood Community High pupil and Warrington Schoolboy also scored the only goal in Bristol’s 1-0 FA Cup defeat of Huddersfield a month ago.

Warrington-born Jack Robinson has also featured regularly in the Championship for Nottingham Forest, with the former Liverpool academy player taking up multiple positions across the back four.

In League One, Adam Davies has been a permanent fixture between the posts for Barnsley, with the former St Gregory’s pupil keeping three clean sheets in 2019, and helping his side to five wins in their last six.

Peterborough’s former Warrington Schoolboys player George Cooper has also found regular games and scored the only goal in his side’s 3-1 defeat by Doncaster on Saturday.

Jordan Thorniley has also gained respectable game time for Sheffield Wednesday in 2019, with the 22-year-old helping the Owls to clean sheets against Luton Town in the FA Cup and and Reading in the Championship last time out.

On the back of this form, the son of former Warrington Wolves centre Tony Thorniley will be hoping to cement his place in Steve Bruce's starting 11 and continue to help them climb the table.