16 April 2024 , 05:00
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Jesse Lingard sprung a surprise in the summer of 2022 when he signed for Nottingham Forest - but he eclipsed that and more when he opted for a move to South Korea in the off-season.
The ex-Manchester United star had been looking for a new club, turning down numerous opportunities, before he decided a venture into the K-League was the challenge he wanted. Lingard arrived at FC Seoul to much fanfare but the excitement off the pitch hasn't been matched by quality on it.
The former England international has made headlines for the wrong reasons and he looks to turn around his fortunes and add his name to the list of impressive British exports.
Lingard's lack of football meant there was an understanding that he'd need some time to get up to speed. Nevertheless his name brought in the crowds and 52,000 rocked up to see him debut - the highest number recorded since South Korea started counting only purchased tickets in 2018.
He was greeted with huge cheers every time he touched the ball during his debut outing. Fans were also willing to wait for over two hours to buy specially produced merchandise featuring their new signing in a fan park outside the ground - dubbed 'The Lingard Zone'
Jesse Lingard injured in warm-up for Nottingham Forest and OUT of Man Utd clash
The 31-year-old wasn't able to make an impact however and only made a hand full of appearances before injury sidelined him. He's remained absent with Seoul unable to mount anything of a domestic challenge.
The team's head coach, Kim Ki-dong, made global headlines when he called out Lingard for a perceived lack of effort - with the kicker 'fame doesn't win football matches'.
The ex-Man Utd star has copped criticism for his work rate (MB Media/Getty Images)"He only played a few minutes, and yet he didn't work hard and avoided tussle," he said, according to national newspaper Joongang Daily after the Jeju game. Lingard came off the bench after 58 minutes, but his manager was happy to deal him a firm reminder.
"Fame doesn't win football games. If it did, I would have brought in a famous retired player," he added. It is reported by the BBC that those comments in South Korea would be seen as motivation, but when translated made it look as if Lingard was one the receiving end of a rant.
Kim though isn't prepared to pander to the ex-Premier League star, who previously excelled at West Ham. His work rate appears to be the main issue for the Seoul boss. Lingard is set to return from injury in mid-May but will need to cover more ground if he's to appease his boss.
His manager said after one outing: "I've been thinking a lot about removing Jesse. I don't think a player who doesn't run for a few minutes is a football player. If he doesn't fight, and doesn't run better than the player who runs for 90 minutes?"
Jesse Lingard is the league's highest paid player in South KoreaThe K-League, in its own continent, is regarded as one of the top three leagues along with those in Japan and Saudi Arabia. It also has the most successful record of any league in terms of winning continental championships.
Seoul haven't won their domestic league since 2016, failing to mount much of a challenge since. Lingard is reportedly on around £17,500-a-week, making him the highest paid player in South Korea, but will need to begin justifying that salary sooner rather than later.
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