Jesse Lingard has revealed that ‘personal strife’ led to him taking a break from football and that a left-field move to South Korea provided a much-needed reset.
The midfielder headed to Nottingham Forest on a free transfer in 2022 after 14 years at Manchester United.
A loan move to West Ham a year prior had proved a success, with the Englishman bagging nine goals in 16 matches, but his spell at the City Ground was a struggle and saw him feature just 20 times before being released in summer 2023.
This left Lingard in the wilderness and he remained without a club until he made the shock switch to FC Seoul in February.
Now the star has shed light on why he took time out from the game in a tell-all column for The Times.
Jesse Lingard has revealed that ‘personal strife’ led to his taking a break from football
The midfielder headed to Nottingham Forest on a free transfer in 2022 after a difficult period
Prior to that Lingard had spent 14 years at Manchester United and also spent a year on loan with West Ham
He wrote: ‘Behind every footballer there’s a story the public aren’t aware of and I’d like you to know mine. It might explain how I got here — and help other players dealing with private strife.
‘The only cure was rest [for injury] but, in the summer, when I was out of contract, my nan got ill. She was an amazing woman — Pamela Lingard — and she and my grandad brought me up while, for long parts of my childhood, my mum battled depression.
‘But over the course of last summer, she became really poorly. She was in and out of hospital and though I was training hard and missed being at a club, it felt like being out of contract was God’s plan: I’m not going to give you a team right now, you need to stay home and be with your family.
‘So that’s what I did. I spent as much time as I could with them and in November, when nan passed away, grandad took it really hard. He was depressed and suffering dizzy spells and was hospitalised himself. He needed looking after too, and there was the funeral to organise and a speech to give.’
Lingard revealed that by the time last Christmas rolled around, he felt he was due for a comeback.
He added that there was no better place than the South Korean club and that their impressive facilities, stature in the country, and the adventure of it all served to lure him away from the UK.
The move seems to have paid off with Lingard bagging five goals in 21 games for Seoul as he looks to revamp his career.
Prior to completing the surprising transfer, he’d not played a single game since April 2023, during which time he experienced a slew of off-the-field issues.
The decision to relieve his brother and father, who acted as his advisors, of their responsibilities created a strain; while the disruption caused by his mother’s illness is well-documented.
Earlier this year Lingard said: ‘I’m always up for new adventures. Trying different things, learning different things, trying different foods and learning the culture. That what I’ve been doing.’
Lingard replica No 10 shirts have been flying off the shelves in Seoul, so much so that at one point the club struggled to meet the demand.
Lingard rejected West Ham, where he previously enjoyed a successful stint (pictured), and Newcastle to join Nottingham Forest in 2022, a move that did not work out for the footballer
The move seems to have paid off with Lingard bagging five goals in 21 games for Seoul
After a tough year, it seems the man who helped England to a World Cup semi-final in 2018 has finally landed on his feet
A designated ‘Lingard Zone’ was set-up on the stadium concourse for a 0-0 draw against Incheon in March – the 31-year-old’s home debut – enabling fans to buy jerseys.
But even then, supporters were queuing for four hours for the privilege with locals amassing another lengthy line outside the official club shop days later in hope of grabbing any Lingard memorabilia they could get their hands on.
After a tough year, it seems the man who helped England to a World Cup semi-final in 2018 has finally landed on his feet.