Jesse Lingard suffers debut from hell in South Korean league – Man United News And Transfer News

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Former Manchester United star Jesse Lingard endured a nightmarish start to life in the K League, as he came off the bench for his new side FC Seoul away to Gwangju.

The United academy product made the controversial move to South Korea last month after leaving Nottingham Forest in the summer as a free agent.

The 31 year old struggled to find a new home and an incredible amount of offers came and went as he could not agree a deal with any club, largely down to financial reasons.

Lingard finally made his long-awaited return to a football pitch but it could not have gone much worse for him.

The number 10 entered the field of play as a substitute but he did not receive the warm welcome he was perhaps expecting.

As Seoul’s new star signing prepared to enter the fray, his introduction was a met with a chorus of boos from the awaiting public, with many choosing to capture the historic moment for the league on their smartphones.

Jesse Lingard makes his K-League Debut 😭🇰🇷 pic.twitter.com/LPGUvO0fST

— Cho 🇰🇷 (@thfc_cho) March 2, 2024

According to the Daily Mail, “Lingard was quick to make enemies in the K League after he was booked for a flying tackle, picking up a yellow card”.

The former FA Cup final hero lunged into a tackle on the touchline after only 15 minutes of his introduction.

It was an ugly, unnecessary attempt to win the ball and was clearly born out of frustration of how his big moment was unfolding.

Catching the opposition player low and late on the ankle, numerous rival players came up and pushed the former United man to express their displeasure with his actions.

Lingard collected his first yellow card in 15 mins of his debut 😭😭 pic.twitter.com/FH6gUNHomQ

— 𝕃𝕚𝕝𝕪 ★ 🦋 (@LilyS2Bella_) March 2, 2024

To round off a catastrophic day at the office, Lingard’s new side were defeated 2-0, conceding the final goal in stoppage time.

The former England man will have his work cut out to improve the team from the Korean capital, as they finished mid-table last season, but only two points clear of the drop zone the year before.

FC Seoul will next be in action when they host Incheon on Sunday 10th March. Lingard will likely expect a warmer welcome in front of his home supporters, and will surely be hoping to leave a better impression on the Korean public.