8
Former Manchester United midfielder Jesse Lingard has revealed his happiness at making his debut for Okay League 1 facet FC Seoul on the weekend.
The 31-year-old agreed to affix the South Korean facet on a two-year deal in February (with the choice of an additional yr), having been with no membership for over seven months following his departure from Nottingham Forest final summer time.
Lingard had relocated to the Metropolis Floor from Previous Trafford in the summertime of 2022, when his contract expired at United, bringing a twenty-one yr keep at his boyhood membership to an finish.
The midfielder signed a one-year cope with Forest on expensive wages, suggesting it was a wedding of comfort for the 2 events, predicated upon whether or not the newly-promoted Championship facet would survive their return to the Premier League.
Nonetheless, regardless of the early promise of the transfer, issues rapidly soured for Lingard at his new membership, dropping his place within the beginning eleven and never regaining it earlier than the top of the season. He didn’t rating or help a single objective final season.
Forest ended up surviving underneath Steve Cooper’s stewardship, however the membership have been eager for Lingard’s costly wage packet to depart the membership with him on the finish of the season.
The United academy graduate was linked with quite a lot of golf equipment on this interim interval, together with ones in Saudi Arabia and America, earlier than he lastly settled on FC Seoul. The Okay League 1 membership are reported to be paying Lingard £17,000 every week – markedly lower than he would seemingly have made within the Saudi Professional League or the MLS.
Nonetheless, the midfielder is believed to have been attracted by the life-style in South Korea, in addition to the variety of enterprise alternatives the nation presents to him, when it comes to eSports, vogue, and eating places. From this angle, the lowered wage packet makes extra sense as it could be compensated long-term by means of different ventures.
Lingard obtained a heroes welcome on the airport when he first arrived in Seoul to signal for his new facet; however this positivity has not lasted lengthy, following a “debut from hell” for FC Seoul on Saturday.
The 31-year-old began on the bench, getting into the fray with FC Seoul dropping 1-0 to Gwangju. He was greeted with a refrain of boos as he was substituted on, rapidly choosing up a yellow card for a nasty sort out which seemingly might have obtained worse punishment. Lingard’s efforts past this did little to assist his new crew, with Gwangju scoring a late objective to place the sport firmly past Seoul’s grasp.
Regardless of the negativity of this debut, Lingard was characteristically optimistic on social media following the sport. The midfielder revealed on Instagram he was, “Blessed and grateful to be again on the pitch doing what I like finest.”
Whether or not soccer really continues to be the exercise Lingard ‘love[s] finest’, or it’s merely a way in the direction of one other finish, stays to be seen.
