“Connect, go in, hit it hard in the middle…”

FC Seoul released the fourth episode of “2024 Zoom In Preseason” on the club’s official YouTube channel on Friday, showing the squad’s preseason training. In the video, Seoul head coach Kim Ki-dong (52) evaluates the play of “super freshman” Jesse Lingard (32).

Seoul officially announced Lingard’s signing on the morning of Aug. 8. Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but British media outlets such as Sky Sports had previously reported that Lingard had joined Seoul on a two-year contract with an option for a one-year extension.

Lingard is a midfielder born in 1992 who joined United’s youth team in 2000. He progressed through the ranks and signed a professional contract with United in 2011. Since then, he has had loan spells with Leicester City, Birmingham City, and Brighton and Hove Albion.

It was during the 2015-2016 season that Lingard really started to establish himself at United.

Louis van Gaal, who was managing United at the time, often used the youth product. That season, he made 40 official appearances (32 starts), scoring six goals and providing four assists.

It was in the 2019-2020 season that Lingard’s position began to falter. Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, United’s manager at the time, used Lingard as often as any other manager, but in January 2020, the club bought playmaker Bruno Fernandes, and Lingard’s playing time gradually decreased.

Eventually, he left on loan to David Moyes’ West Ham United in the winter transfer window of the 2020-2021 season.

It seemed like the best move. 스포츠토토 It was a short six-month loan, but Lingard scored nine goals and provided five assists in 16 league games in a West Ham shirt. He was the de facto “ace” of the team and led West Ham to the UEFA Europa League.

With his confidence growing, Lingard opted to return to United at the end of his loan rather than complete a move to West Ham. He wanted to compete for a starting spot once again. This time, Mourinho opted for Bruno Fernandes. In July 2022, Lindegaard left United for Nottingham Forest, where he had grown up.

Lingard’s downward spiral continued.

Despite being the highest paid player in the team, he didn’t have much of an on-field presence. Eventually, he was released by Nottingham in June 2023 and became a free agent.

In August of last year, it was reported that Lingard was training with Inter Miami of the MLS in the United States.

Later, he was again linked with a move to West Ham. The move never materialized. In September, it was announced that he was training with Al Etihad in the Saudi Arabian Professional League, and it looked like a deal was in the works.

After being linked with the likes of FC Barcelona and Everton, his next destination was FC Seoul, as reported by Manchester United transfer market insider Simon Stone.

“On the 20th anniversary of the club’s return to Seoul, we are looking to further consolidate our status as a leading club in the K League and lay the foundation for Seoul and the K League to re-emerge at a world-class level,” Seoul said in a statement on Monday.

“I came to Korea for a new challenge, a new chapter in my life,” Lingard said at his 2 p.m. press conference. I will do my best to bring joy to the fans in Seoul,” he said at the press conference.

Before the start of the season,

There was a lot of interest in his compatibility with newly appointed coach Kim Ki-dong. And in a video released by Seoul on the 15th, Kim Ki-dong gave a short evaluation of Lingard.

“Look at the way he plays Lingard. He’s a bit lacking when it comes to defense, but he connects, goes in, and hits hard in the middle,” Kim said, describing Lingard’s performance in practice.

“He makes it look so easy,” said Kim, who was pleased with Lingard’s play.

Meanwhile, Seoul will open the 2024 season on March 2 against Gwangju FC, a team that broke out last season with a third-place finish.