Jesse Lingard starts match for Al Ettifaq despite not yet signing for Saudi Pro League side

Jesse Lingard started a match for Al Ettifaq despite having not yet officially signed for the Saudi Pro League side.

Lingard has been training with Saudi Pro League side Al Ettifaq for the past few weeks.

Indeed, the club announced in late September that the ex-England and Manchester United midfielder would spend a month at the Saudi Pro League side.

And while he is yet to put pen to paper on a deal there, Lingard started for Al Ettifaq in a behind closed doors friendly on Wednesday evening.

Earlier this season the 30-year-old had been training with Premier League side West Ham United after being released by Nottingham Forest in the summer.

However, it was claimed Lingard opted to end his association with West Ham in order to pursue a move to the Saudi Pro League.

The midfielder trained for over a month with the Hammers and even featured for David Moyes’ side in a behind-closed-doors friendly against Championship side Ipswich Town in September.

While having featured for West Ham and laterally Al Ettifaq this term, Lingard, who won the last of his 32 England caps back in 2021, has technically been a free agent since leaving the City Ground.

The player spent the majority of his career at United, apart from loan spells at Derby County and West Ham, before leaving Old Trafford for Forest on a free in July 2022.

Al Ettifaq, managed by Steven Gerrard, signed Jordan Henderson from Liverpool for £12million back in July.

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