When Jesse Lingard ditched England for a 5,000 mile switch to South Korea in February 2024, it’s fair to say that an eyebrow – or two – was raised.
But the former Premier League star, now 33, has revealed that his move to FC Seoul, which came to an end earlier this month, gave him a chance to ‘reset’ and ‘get away from the noise in Manchester’.
Lingard broke through at Manchester United during the 2015/16 campaign, but really came to the fore when Jose Mourinho arrived a season later.
The attacking midfielder, from Warrington, won an FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League with his boyhood side, and even featured in the 2018 World Cup semi-final for England at the peak of his powers.
Yet, his exit at United was an unceremonious one, having fallen out with Erik ten Hag and out of first-team favour. And, after a loan to West Ham and a permanent move to Nottingham Forest, Lingard’s time in his home country was finished.
Throughout his time in England, Lingard faced accusations that his off-field antics were a distraction, and he has now admitted that the bright lights of Manchester provided him with ‘a lot’ of them.
Jesse Lingard made a 5,000 mile switch to South Korea when he signed for FC Seoul in 2024
The midfielder broke through at Man United in 2015 and would go on to win a series of trophies
‘I was shocked at first because I didn’t know anything about Seoul,’ Lingard told The Guardian about his move to the K League 1.
‘But when I started to think about it, I thought it could be a chance to reset, to get away from the noise in Manchester. There’s a lot of distractions [in Manchester]. You can get roped into going out and stuff like that. I just wanted to get away and really knuckle down on the football part.’
The 33-year-old said the move took some adjusting to, particularly culturally. But Lingard quickly threw himself into the deep end and began to reap the rewards.
‘The food is different, obviously,’ he continued. ‘I tried live octopus. It was moving. I was scared at first but it was all right.’
Lingard had been criticised by his manager early on in his spell at FC Seoul, but would go on to be awarded the captain’s armband after becoming a key player for the club.
His two-and-a-half years there were largely successful, and saw him become a fans-favourite after scoring 18 and assisting 10 goals in 66 appearances for the club.
FC Seoul also qualified for the AFC Champions League after finishing fourth during his first season at the club, but finished sixth in the 12-team league in the 2024-25 season.
Now back in his hometown for the festive period, Lingard admitted he is open to more new ideas as he considers his next options, whether they come in ‘Europe, Saudi’ or the ‘UAE’.
