After spending the past few months without a club, Jesse Lingard, former Manchester United midfielder and English international, has found an unlikely new home with FC Seoul in Korea’s K League 1.As he was unveiled as the club’s biggest winter acquisition on Thursday, the 31-year-old said he is here to win.”Now I’m finally signed, I can concentrate on football,” Lingard said at his introductory press conference at Seoul World Cup Stadium. He’s scheduled to join FC Seoul at their training camp in Japan later this week. “I am looking forward to getting back on the pitch and winning with FC Seoul because I am a winner and a competitor and I want to win a trophy while I am here.”
Over the past four seasons, FC Seoul finished ninth, seventh, ninth and seventh among 12 clubs in the K League 1. They last won a league title in 2016 by three points over Jeonbuk Hyundai Motors, who were slapped with a nine-point penalty that year after one of their scouts was charged with bribing referees. FC Seoul’s last trophy without an asterisk came at the 2015 Korean FA Cup.Lingard, who made 232 appearances for Man United after working his way up through their youth academy, is the most recognizable international name to join the K League 1. Lingard’s best season with the Red Devils came in 2017-18, when he netted 13 goals in 48 matches in all competitions. Lingard won the UEFA Europa League, FA Cup and Carabao Cup with the Premier League team.
Lingard also had loan stints with Leicester City, Birmingham City, Brighton & Hove Albion, Derby County and West Ham United. He had been a free agent since leaving Nottingham Forest last summer before FC Seoul announced their contract with the midfielder earlier Thursday.”I’m very excited because it’s a new challenge. It’s a new chapter in my career,” he said. “I just want to enjoy playing football again and putting a smile on people’s faces and show Korean fans what I can do.”He has played as an attacking midfielder or a winger throughout his career. He said he’s most comfortable playing on the 슬롯게이밍 left but he will be available to play anywhere.