Jesse Lingard praised after comforting emotional TikTok star Francis Bourgeois
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Viewers of Francis Bourgeois' new TV show about trainspotting have been moved by the 'genuine' and 'thoughtful' actions of Nottingham Forest midfielder Jesse Lingard.
The Manchester United academy product, who left Old Trafford this summer to join newly-promoted Forest, was the second guest to feature on Channel 4 series 'Trainspotting with Francis Bourgeois'.
Bourgeois, real name Luke Nicholson, has become a viral sensation on a range of social media platforms in recent years, with GoPro footage capturing his priceless reactions to passing trains.
And now, the Brit wants to share his experiences with a host of celebrities, including Aisling Bea, Sam Ryder and former Love Island contestant Chloe Burrows.
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Across five episodes, Bourgeois will be offering a unique perspective on wild trainspotting across five different locations in the UK.
There are certainly some entertaining guests in the five-part series, including rapper AJ Tracey, but this heartwarming episode with Lingard is arguably the best.
The former West Ham loanee, who admitted last year that he considered taking a break from football due to his mental health, supported Bourgeois after he opened up about the hate he receives from some of the trainspotting community.
Firstly, Lingard is taken to hometown of Warrington, where Bourgeois educates the footballer about his local train station.
After having a quick kick-about on a nearby five-a-side pitch, Lingard and Bourgeois join hundreds of others on a moving train.
Bourgeois then decides to move into a quieter carriage – a decision that prompts a candid conversation.
“I’ve gone in here a bit because I’m well aware that there’s people in there that really don’t like me," he told Lingard. “It’s something I find quite weird to think that in my own community are people that don’t like me the most.”
Lingard asks if Francis cares about people disliking him. “I like to make everyone feel good so it’s a bit sort of disheartening sometimes," Bourgeois said. "People just think I’m faking my enthusiasm.”
The England international proceeds to comfort the TikTok personality. "But that’s just you being you though," he says. "That’s how you are, that’s you.”
Bourgeois gets off the train moments later and, as it moves away from the station, a handful of people react positively from the moving carriages. It's a response that left Bourgeois in tears.
You can watch the brilliant clip in full below:
Here's how viewers reacted to the recent episode.
One fan said: "Who’s cutting onions… this guy man. How can anyone hate him? He’s as genuine as they come and kudos to Jesse for his support," while another commented: "Jesse is such a cool guy. No matter the circumstances, just a good guy."
A third wrote: "The duo we didn’t know we needed!"
As mentioned earlier, Lingard revealed last year that mental health issues nearly led him to take a break from football.
"Not quit football, just have a time out really," he told Presenting. "I was going into games happy sitting on the bench and that's not me. I was telling my brother the other day: 'Remember when I was happy sitting on the bench and all this?'
"I didn't want to play because my mind wasn't there, I wasn't focused at all. I was thinking about other things and obviously bottling it all up; trying to play football, you can't do it."
It came months after the midfielder admitted that problems off the pitch had contributed to his lack of form at Manchester United.
Featured Image Credit: Channel 4
Topics: Jesse Lingard, Manchester United, England
