Jesse ‘Jlingz’ Lingard is now officially a player for FC Seoul. The former midfielder for Manchester United had been without a club since the end of last season when Nottingham Forest decided not to extend his contract. Lingard, who is 31 years old and plays for the England national team, has not played since a brief two-minute appearance as a substitute against United at the City Ground on 16 April. On 1 February, which was transfer deadline day across Europe, it was announced that Lingard was seriously considering an offer to join FC Seoul. Club officials had already assessed Lingard’s fitness in Manchester, and by the time he flew to South Korea’s capital, the deal was done.🗣️ “I’m ready to embrace the culture. It’s a new beginning for me”Jesse Lingard explains how his move to FC Seoul materialised 🇰🇷 pic.twitter.com/yaJ4GT8vOI— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) February 8, 2024 It’s not common to see such established players move from Europe to Korea, but the former Manchester United trainee is happy to take on the challenge.”I’m here, I’m ready to embrace the culture, it is a new beginning for me, a new chapter in my career and I just want to enjoy playing football again. I want to put a smile on people’s faces and show the Korean fans what I can do. When FC Seoul came into the equation, the commitment that they showed… they flew to Manchester to watch me train. I got put through some tests by the physios in Manchester, and they came through with a contract on paper. The commitment shown by the club made up my mind about where I wanted to go. There were multiple offers, but they were all verbal offers. The commitment shown by FC Seoul showed how much interest they had and how much they wanted me at the club, so it was only right to repay that and come to the club. I’ve always wanted a different challenge and to create new memories in my career. I believe South Korea is the perfect place for that.”##NAJAVA_MECA_7855887##Lingard is not yet match fit, but he says it won’t take long to reach the required level. He has some time to get ready since the K-League season does not start until next month. FC Seoul will begin their campaign with a 650-kilometre trip to Gwangju FC on 2 March. This experience promises to be different from anything Lingard has encountered before.
