'Not been a normal signing' - Former Man Utd star Jesse Lingard hailed for bringing 'a certain coolness and street cred' to FC Seoul

The ex-Manchester United star spent six months as a free agent after leaving Nottingham Forest at the end of the 2022/23 campaign. In January 2024, he finally completed a move to K League 1 side FC Seou and in just a year, Lingard has become the talk of the town with his activities on and off the pitch. Lingard has now been credited for bringing 'a certain coolness and street cred' to his new club after making an impressive impact.

Speaking to SunSport, Asian football expert and author John Duerden said: "Not many foreign players make the national news in South Korea for actions on and off the pitch but Jesse Lingard has not been any normal signing. For a start, he is the biggest name import to play in the 42-year-old K League and, therefore, has had more expectations and pressure than others.

"In the early days, it looked as if it wasn’t going to happen at FC Seoul, one of the country’s big clubs that has struggled a little in recent years. He took time to settle, leading to a rebuke, of sorts, from the coach but most don’t appreciate how big a cultural difference there is between South Korea and the UK both on and off the pitch. Just take the weather, absolutely freezing in winter and very hot and very humid in the summer and then there is the rainy season."

Duerden added: "It is off the pitch though that Lingard has been different to any signing in the past. His music single Kamsahamnida was a surprise but his CGI video, released in December, attracted hundreds of millions of clicks, went down very well in Korea and made national news. Usual interactions with foreign players have usually not progressed much past questions such as 'do you like kimchi?' Or 'how good is Son Heung-min?' and comments about chopstick wielding competence. This is not something that has happened in the K-League before, it is a competition that is solid but seen by many, at home and abroad, as lacking a little in the excitement and coolness stakes.

"Officials at Seoul and at league headquarters were delighted. Lingard may not rival some of the megastars in Saudi Arabia in terms of talent and achievements, but he has brought a certain coolness and street cred that wasn’t really thought about when Seoul decided to try and sign him. It helps that he is here at a time when there is huge global interest in Korean music, food, television, beauty products, fashion, technology and movies and getting involved in that culture is always going to go down well. Too many foreign players stay in their bubbles and rarely experience, let alone embrace, the culture. Lingard has shown what can be done. Like anywhere, the more you put in, the more you get out."

The 32-year-old will be back in action next Monday as FC Seoul take on Gimcheon Sangmu in a K League 1 clash.