Attacking midfielder Jesse Lingard (31) is looking forward to playing with “FC Seoul Legend” Ki Sung-yueng (35, FC Seoul). He is also looking forward to meeting head coach Kim Ki-dong (52).
Lingard, who attended the FC Seoul joining press conference at the Seoul World Cup Stadium on the afternoon of Aug. 8, said that he had played against Ki Sung-yueng in the English Premier League (EPL) with Swansea City in the past and was confident of the synergy between them.
Ki joined Swansea City in August 2012 from Celtic in the Scottish League, where he played for nearly six years. He spent the 2013-2014 season on loan at Sunderland.
A former Manchester United youth product, Lingard started playing for the first team in 2011. He stayed at United until 2022. During that time, he had five loan spells with Leicester City, Birmingham City, Brighton & Hove Albion, Derby County, and West Ham United. Lingard’s actual contribution to United was from the 2015-2016 season until January of the 2021-2022 season.
In 232 appearances in a United shirt, he scored 35 goals and provided 21 assists.
Lingard and Ki Sung-yueng have a history of playing together in England. On March 31, 2018, the two players faced each other during the EPL match between Manchester United and Swansea City at Old Trafford in Manchester, England.
“When I was in England, I played against Ki Sung-yueng when he was playing for Swansea City,” Lingard said, “and it was an honor. “It was an honor,” he says, “and now we’re playing together at FC Seoul. I’m confident of our synergy in the midfield. And I’m looking forward to playing with Ki Sung-yueng because he’s a legend here,” he said without hesitation.
Ki Sung-yong, who recently re-signed with FC Seoul, has been named captain for the season. He is expected to be the centerpiece of the team both on and off the field, and now has an EPL veteran in Lingard to help lead the midfield.
Lingard is also looking forward to working with FC Seoul head coach Kim Ki-dong, following in the footsteps of ‘captain’ Ki Sung-yong.
Kim was in charge of the Pohang Steelers from 2019 until last season, and the team managed to stay in the top tier even without him. They finished runners-up in the 메이저사이트 Asian Football Confederation (AFC) Champions League in 2021 and reached the top of the FA Cup in 2023. It was the “first trophy” of his managerial career.
Kim was recognized for his efforts by the Korea Football Association, which awarded him the Coach of the Year Award in 2023.
“I’ve heard a lot about Kim Ki-Dong,” Lingard said, “and I know he’s a coach who knows how to win and wants to win. Jose Mourinho was like that, so I admire him. I’m looking forward to meeting him,” he added with a twinkle in his eye.
Lingard will travel to Kagoshima, FC Seoul’s second winter training camp, to begin acclimatizing to the team. He will depart on the 9th.
“In the 20th anniversary of the club’s return to Seoul, we are making this move to further solidify our status as a leading club in the K League and to lay the foundation for FC Seoul and the K League to re-emerge as a world-class organization,” said FC Seoul.
FC Seoul expects Lingard to be a great addition to head coach Kim Ki-dong’s aggressive tactical scheme, as well as a significant boost to the team’s strength. Above all, FC Seoul plans to make the best preparations for related activities, as the ripple effect of Lingard’s arrival will greatly expand the size of the K-League industry.