Jesse Lingard has become a sensation in South Korea at FC Seoul, with fans queuing for four hours to buy the ex-Manchester United star’s No.10 shirt.

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• Spent several months as a free agent
• Embracing a fresh start in Asia
• Captured imagination of new fan base

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  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The former England international completed a surprising move to Asia in February after spending several months as a free agent on the back of his release by Nottingham Forest in the summer of 2023. Lingard had to be patient in pursuit of a new club, and has now committed to a two-year contract in Seoul.

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  THE BIGGER PICTURE

  It remains to be seen what kind of impact he can make on the pitch with K-League employers, but he is certainly causing a stir off it. Ahead of his home debut, reports on how fans queued around the block to acquire a Lingard jersey – with a temporary store only stocking his No.10 shirt.

• DID YOU KNOW?

  It has also been revealed that tickets for his competitive bow, away at Gwangju, sold out in two minutes and 30 seconds, while FC Seoul’s average attendance is already more than double what it was last season. The club have also enjoyed a social media spike, becoming the first Korean club to register more than 100,000 subscribers on YouTube.

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  WHAT NEXT FOR LINGARD?

  Lingard has spoken of already feeling the “love” in his new home and is in the process of working his way up to full match sharpness after spending so long on an individual training programme. He may have become something of a forgotten man in England, but the 31-year-old is now a star attraction in the Far East.

Tags: Futebol
Category: News