MANY British footballers keep to themselves and refuse to embrace local culture when they move abroad.
But not Jesse Lingard. The former Man Utd midfielder was released by Nottingham Forest in 2023, after an underwhelming time at the City Ground.
RexJesse Lingard is living his best life in South Korea playing for FC Seoul[/caption]
Ex-Man Utd star Lingard shares his culinary experiences like eating Korean BBQ onlineInstagram
InstagramBy embracing local culture, Lingard has made himself a fan favourite[/caption]
He was stuck in a football free agent’s abyss, until he surprisingly moved to South Korean side FC Seoul in February 2024 on a two-year deal – taking a huge pay cut on £17,500-per-week. At Forest, he was was earning a whopping £180,000-per-week.
Although it was a tough start professionally, with coach Kim Gi-dong publicly criticising him for his fitness and a subsequent knee injury ruling him of action early on in his career, he soon won over the fans.
However, it isn’t just Lingard’s football skills that have scored him admirers in The Land of Han.
The midfielder has immersed himself in Asian culture – not just indulging in Korean BBQ – but also releasing music.
While, his epic social media posts – in partnership with CGI firm Vertex – have made him and the K League appear cool, as well as drawn millions of eyes through social media to his experience.
Asian football expert and author John Duerden has seen first hand the impact Lingard has had from his home in Seoul.
He told SunSport: “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.”
Culture club
Lingard adapted. After all, he would have been use to a rainy day or two in Manchester, so that wouldn’t have hurt.
But, he seemed particularly enamoured with the local culture and has brought cool to a country that is producing award-winning TV in shows like Squid Game.
No sooner had he made the move to the Far East, he was sharing his dining experiences on Instagram to his nine million followers.
Lingard then realised there was a market for a video diary of his career in South Korea, and he rebooted his YouTube channel last year.
On there, and on his Instagram, he has shared his epic lifestyle. From cruising on a boat to making music and creating epic CGI clips.
One of those clips dropped in December shows ‘J Lingz’ performing some kick ups, before volleying a ball into the sky towards a ribbon that drops a sheet to reveal a gold statue of his famous J-L hand celebration.
Another sees the ex-Three Lions winger show off his dance moves, before Moonwalking out of shot.
Before the end of the year, Lingard revealed his single Kamsahamnida
A CGI viral video Lingard uploaded to Instagram in December has been watch 4.5 million times
In another clip, Lingard can be seen showing off his dance moves
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The former has been liked almost 4.5 million times, while the latter has drawn almost 240,000 likes since it was uploaded in November.
Lingard even found time to release his first rap single before the end of last year.
Kamsahamnida, which means ‘thank you’ in Korean, was well received by his fans and is incredibly catchy.
Duerden explained: “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.”
Lingard has been credited with bringing cool to the K League
While on his YouTube channel, Lingard has shown he’s not afraid to try new experiences
Playing in the K League
In terms of his football, Lingard is clearly loving life on and off the pitch.
After scoring his first goal of the season, with the K-League running from February to November, he performed FIVE goal celebrations in the 2-1 win over Anyang.
Lingard’s popularity is bigger than ever, but it’s a tough league to adapt to.
Duerden explained: “Few coaches speak English and they have historically tended to be quite conservative tactically, liking to counter-attack and players who work hard, run hard and listen well.
“The league is of a good standard, physical and fast but you have to work for goals and games often only open up in the latter stages.
“The average league attendance was 11,000 last season but with Lingard Seoul attracted over 27,000.
“The K League does not have the same central place in Korean culture as the Premier League in England but those that go are often hugely passionate and will support their players through thick and thin, if they give their all on the pitch.
APLingard arrived in Asia to much fan fare and took a pay cut[/caption]
https://www.instagram.com/p/C57gyVmtuXw/?img_index=2Ex-England star Lingard suffered a set back when he required knee surgery last year[/caption]
Lingard scored his first goal of the season last weekendRex
“There is no doubt that Lingard has done this and his performances have improved. Being made captain in June and then officially getting the nod ahead of his second season was a reflection of that. Seoul coach Kim Gi-dong is not the type to hand out the armband on a whim.
“The new season has started well with a goal in the first home game in front of 40,000 fans.
“It looks as if there is more to come.”
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