Former Premier League star Jesse Lingard (Image courtesy of Yonhap) SEOUL, Nov. 1 (Korea Bizwire) – Former Premier League star Jesse Lingard attributes his successful adaptation to Korean football to FC Seoul manager Kim Gi-dong’s stern early-season guidance. Speaking at a media day event at GS Champions Park in Guri on October 30, Lingard praised Kim’s deep understanding of football and his clear tactical approach to each match.
The former Manchester United attacking midfielder, who joined FC Seoul in February, initially struggled to adapt to the K-League and faced further setbacks with knee surgery early in the season. However, with support from manager Kim and his teammates, Lingard has emerged as a key offensive player for Seoul, contributing five goals and two assists this season. Lingard recalled a pivotal moment in his K-League journey with a smile: “Getting strongly criticized by the manager after the first two matches really helped me get my head straight.
” Kim had delivered particularly pointed criticism after Seoul’s third-round match against Jeju United in March, stating, “If a player who only plays for a few minutes can’t even engage in physical battles and plays half-heartedly, performing worse than those who play full 90 minutes, I don’t consider them a real player. If we’re going to rely on reputation alone, we might as well bring in retired players.” This sharp rebuke served as a wake-up call for Lingard, who has since fully integrated i.