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.
However, a combination of injuries and poor form saw him fail to fulfil his potential in a United shirt.
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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.
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.
"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.
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