Ex-Man Utd star Jesse Lingard sends 'proud' message after scoring brace off the bench to lead FC Seoul to remarkable comeback victory

FC Seoul came into their welcome of Gangwon on a three-game winless run having drawn two and lost one in that period. And it looked as though they'd fail to win for the fourth time running as goals from Kim Gun-Lee and Mo Jae-Hyeon either side of half time put Gangwon into a two-goal lead.

Lingard was dropped to the bench for the contest but was called upon midway through the second half as head coach Kim Gi-dong looked to salvage a result at the Seoul World Cup Stadium. It didn't take Lingard long to half the deficit as he headed in a Moon Seon-min cross to kickstart the comeback in the 73rd minute.

The Dark Red Warriors captain then added his and his side's second five minutes later as his cross-cum-shot found a way past Hyeon-Mu Kang to draw FC Seoul level. Jae-Moon Ryu and Cheon Seong-Hoon netted the third and fourth goals of the game as the capital side came from behind to secure a 4-2 win.

Lingard took to his official Instagram page to celebrate the victory and send a message to his team-mates after their fine 4-2 win. "To come back from 2-0 down and win 4-2 we showed amazing mentality, belief and resilience," Lingard posted with a series of images from Sunday's triumph.

"This is @fcseoul ⚫️🔴 Proud of the team today 🖤❤️," he added. The former Manchester United man will hope to inspire his side to end the season strongly having shone off at the bench at the weekend.

FC Seoul face a tough task to follow up Sunday's win over Gangwon as they travel to Daejeon Hana Citizen next weekend. Hwang Sun-Hong's side are in good form with a 2-0 win over Pohang Steelers extending their unbeaten run to five matches.

FC Seoul then return to AFC Champions League action with a meeting against Chinese Super League side Chengdu Rongcheng FC in early November.

While moving to South Korea was a huge leap by Lingard, he has slowly rediscovered his love for the game in the Far East. The 32-year-old's debut season didn't quite go according to plan as a meniscus surgery curtailed his progress on the other side of the world.

However, the midfielder believes he is as fit and strong as he has ever been, stating back in May: "I'm running between 10km to 12km every game, my high-speed runs are always high."

Playing in the heat can take its toll, and it means Lingard has been forced to find greater levels of self-discipline, adding: "I've been injury-free the whole season, taking care of my body, recovering better, eating the right foods. Being professional. In England I had my chef and personal trainer with me. Here it is totally different. I've got to do it on my own.

"I remember one of the first games in Jeju - I felt like I was blowing after a couple of minutes. So humid. The tempo is high out here, the games are intense. At the start, I wasn't fit, but once I found the rhythm I got used to it."

The eight-hour time difference between South Korea and the UK means it's difficult for Lingard to speak with his daughter and mother. Both have made the trip to see Lingard but staying close is proving tricky.

"It's just Facetime calls, really. It's tough because you want to be there in real life," Lingard added. "But what's good is that my daughter understands what I'm doing and why I'm doing it.

"She is always on the Nintendo, playing with FC Seoul and scoring goals playing as me. But it is hard with Facetime because we are eight hours ahead so you have to catch her at the right time."

Lingard spent the bulk of his career with Manchester United, and enjoyed loan spells with Leicester, Birmingham, Brighton, Derby and West Ham, before leaving for Nottingham Forest in 2022 and FC Seoul in 2024.