Manchester United attacker Jesse Lingard has hailed the "character" shown by his side to bounce back from adversity in overcoming Brighton & Hove Albion.

The Red Devils booked their place in the semi-finals of the FA Cup with a 2-0 win over Brighton at Old Trafford on Saturday night, four days on from being knocked out of the Champions League by Sevilla.

United were far from their best once again but got the job done, which Lingard insists is all that truly matters following their confidence-sapping defeat at the hands of Sevilla earlier in the week.

"Brighton sat back and hit us on the counter-attack a few times, which we were obviously aware of before the match, but we knew we needed to win and we got the win, which was the most important thing," he told the club's official website.

"It's always difficult for a team to be knocked out of a competition, but we showed the character to bounce back and not let anything faze us. Semi-finals are always big and it's like the final, you could say, at a neutral ground, so we're excited. Any opportunity to win a trophy is always good for the team and the fans, so if we can get a trophy out of the season, it'll be good.

"The semi-final keeps everyone motivated and we have something to look forward to, but saying that, in the Premier League, we need to maintain that second spot and keep the pressure on at the top."

Man United's Premier League season resumes after the international break with a home game against Swansea City on March 31.