Former Manchester United man Jesse Lingard has finally explained the reasons why he took a break from football – but he is loving life at his new club.
Lingard came through the academy at United and was highly touted as a potential mainstay in the side after showing signs of promise early in his career.
The 31-year-old will have fond memories of his time at United, most notably his FA Cup-winning goal against Crystal Palace in 2016.
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However, a combination of injuries and poor form saw him fail to fulfil his potential in a United shirt.
After five loan spells during his United career, he finally penned a permanent deal at Nottingham Forest in 2022 – but the contract ran for a single year to the surprise of many.
After failing to net a single Premier League goal for the East Midlands side, Lingard left at the end of the 2022/23 season - he did not sign for a professional club until February 2024. He joined Korean side FC Seoul.
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The reasons for his break were very much a mystery but he has finally opened up in a column for The Times.
"Behind every footballer there’s a story the public aren’t aware of and I’d like you to know mine,” he wrote.
“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,” Lingard explained.
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"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.”
Since moving to South Korea, Lingard has had a new lease of life, away from the gaze of the British media and football fans.
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This has allowed him to focus on what he does best – playing football. Lingard has made 21 K-League 1 appearances and scoring five goals for his new club. His contributions helped Seoul to a fifth-place finish in Korea’s top-flight.
It is unclear if or when Lingard could return to England. He signed a two-year deal with the club, which is expected to tie him to Seoul until December 2025.
Topics: Manchester United, Jesse Lingard, Nottingham Forest
Luke Davies