Jesse Lingard claims he 'knew nothing' of sexual assault claims against granddad but would have 'cut ties' if made aware as trial over 17 counts of indecent assault continues

Former Manchester United star Lingard has appeared in court in Liverpool as a defence witness for his grandfather Kenneth who is facing 17 counts of indecent assault. Lingard denied having any knowledge of the allegations when questioned and said he would have cut ties with his grandad if he had known of the accusations against the 86-year-old.

"I would have cut ties with him straight away," Lingard told the court, as reported by the BBC. "My daughter wouldn't be round there. My little sister wouldn't be round there."

Lingard was also asked if he would lie on behalf of his grandfather and replied: "No, never. If I knew any of these allegations I'd have cut ties with him years ago."

Kenneth Lingard stands accused of historical offences against a woman from when she was five years old which he denies. The allegations were made to police after a documentary called Untold: The Jesse Lingard Story was broadcast in 2022. In the documentary Lingard spoke of his grandfather's positive influence on his career which saw him spend a decade at Manchester United and win 32 England caps.

Lingard lived with his grandfather from the age of two and also told the court of the support he had given him throughout his career. He added: "He basically taught me football, taught all the skills, drove me up and down motorways from Liverpool to Manchester, Crewe, Barnsley, Stoke, to watch me play football. He's been the man that's got me here today."

Lingard currently plays for FC Seoul in South Korea and flew in for his court appearance after scoring for his team in a K-League 1 clash on Saturday. The trial is set to continue and is expected to last several weeks.