Lingard on Man Utd, Forest regrets and playing in South Korea

Some things never change, despite the fact that Jesse Lingard lives 500 miles away.

The former England international discusses the struggles that have caused him to play for Seoul FC in the bustling capital of South Korea in an interview with BBC Sport.

However, he never gets too far away from Manchester United. He was watching when they played Tottenham in the Europa League final last week.

“It was watched.” I went to bed at 9 o’clock and set my alarm, according to Lingard, because it was 4 a.m.

“The final was something I had to watch. United will always be my heart and soul mate. I continue to follow their games or catch highlights.

Lingard might conclude that the expense wasn’t worthwhile. In a game that has been hailed as one of the worst European finals in recent memory, his boyhood club lost 1-0.

The 32-year-old’s love for United continues despite his newfound acclaim in eastern Asia.

Fans will continue to support them despite their best efforts, he claims. “They will always be one of the biggest clubs in the world,” he declares.

“Ruben] Amorim might be working on a long-term project. He is aware of his goals.

He relyed on winning the Europa League because it’s difficult to attract players because he wasn’t in the Champions League.

Lingard’s beloved Manchester United is hampered by the eight-hour time difference, which doesn’t just make things difficult.

Without his daughter Hope and mother Kirsty, he was certain he would succeed in his new venture when he made the decision.

Although his family has traveled to Lingard, it can be challenging to stay close.

“It’s really just Facetime calls,” she said. You want to be there in real life, Lingard says, “but it’s difficult.”

“But what’s good is that my daughter understands what I’m doing and why I’m doing it,” she said.

She frequently plays for FC Seoul, scoring goals while playing for me, on the Nintendo.

“But Facetime is difficult because you have to catch her right away because we are eight hours ahead.”

Lingard regrets not having moved to South Korea as a result of his career.

A wrench caused by leaving Manchester United. Before moving to Nottingham Forest in 2022, he had spent 22 years at Old Trafford.

Before his 12-month contract expired in the summer of 2023, Lingard was limited to 12 Premier League starts due to an injury-hit campaign that prevented the move to the City Ground.

Lingard regrets the Forest’s decision, though. He might have gone to West Ham, where he had resurrected after a six-month loan spell in 2021.

He was recalled to the provisional England squad for the delayed Euro 2020, just missing the cut for the final party because he had performed so well at London.

The Warrington-born footballer produced some of his best football of all time under David Moyes.

Lingard was already in east London when the chance came up to be permanently reunited with Moyes in the summer of 2022.

Why did he end up at Forest, then?

He says, “The Forest deal, when we were going through that – and I don’t want to go into too much detail, but I wasn’t in control of anything at the time.”

“Practically, I didn’t have a choice,” she said. There was a place I’d have preferred to go, and I was aware of what I wanted to do. I was aware of the offers West Ham and Forest had made.

However, everyone has their own opinion, and I didn’t feel like I could express it at the time.

“Now I can see that people don’t care about what I want most,” she says. West Ham, however, is undoubtedly unknown. I visited Forest.

Lingard has found inner tranquility on the other side of the globe.

His first season in South Korea ended badly due to meniscus surgery, which prevented his progress.

However, Lingard is slowly but surely discovering his passion for the game.

He claims to be as strong and fit as he has ever been.

Every game, I run between 10 and 12 kilometers, and Lingard claims that his high-speed runs are constant.

Although playing in the heat is exhausting, Lingard has to work harder to develop self-control.

I’ve been injury-free the entire season, taking good care of my body, recovering faster, and consuming the right foods. Being a professional, “Lingard asserts.

My personal trainer and chef were with me when I traveled to England. It is completely different in this instance. I must do it alone.

After a few minutes, I felt like I was blowing at one of the first games in Jeju. It’s so humid.

The games are intense, and the tempo is high out here. I wasn’t fit at first, but once I found the rhythm, I adapted.

Lingard has overcome Manchester United’s pain and his unease with moving to Nottingham Forest.

Lingard is enjoying his football and enjoying his life, despite the controversy surrounding his decision to switch to South Korea.

When I wasn’t playing for United, I became stressed because I only wanted to play football, according to Linard, and stress causes distraction.

I’m trying to find peace out here. At the end of the day, peace is bliss. It doesn’t matter where you are if you can find that.

“I’m still enjoying myself and playing football.” I’m 32 years old, but the statistics don’t indicate that. I still have a long way to go playing football.

I’ll play for a long time, I promise. It was a wise decision to make. The main reason I wanted to get my happiness back playing football was a fresh start.

It’s been an incredible experience,” she said. Different cultures, amazing people, and amazing cities.

I feel like my mental capacity has increased. My outlook on life has improved as a result of the move.

Seoul will undoubtedly always be a special place in Lingard’s heart. But there is more.

Lingard’s contract expires in November, but FC Seoul has the option to extend it by another 12 months.

“I’ve given the future a lot of thought,” Lingard says.

I simply want to concentrate on football because there won’t be much action this year. However, there are other options out there, so you must consider them.