'I know what’s best for me and my career'

Jesse Lingard poses with an FC Seoul scarf during a press conference at Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul on Thursday. [YONHAP]

“I know what’s best for me and my career,” Seoul FC signee Jesse Lingard said in a press conference Thursday, hitting back at criticism of his decision to move from European football to Korea’s K League 1.

"It's perfect for me to come to the K League and make the K League more global than it is,” Lingard said at Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul. “And the main thing was to play football and that's what I want to do: get back on the pitch and show people what I can do still."

Lingard officially signed with FC Seoul on Thursday on a two-year deal, becoming probably the most high-profile player ever to join the Korean league.

Lingard, 31, spent most of his career at Manchester United. He was on the books with United from 2011 through 2022 and made 232 appearances during which he recorded 35 goals and 21 goals.

Following his contract expiration with United in 2022, he signed with then-newly promoted Premier League club Nottingham Forest on a one-year deal, making 20 appearances for the club and scoring two goals.

After the expiration of his contract with Nottingham at the end of the 2022-23 season, he was without a club.

The sudden move to FC Seoul came as a surprise to many fans both back in England and internationally, with some critics arguing that he should have looked to stay in the Premier League, or at least in Europe.

Lingard said Thursday that while he received multiple verbal offers, Seoul were the club that flew to England with a contract ready to go on paper.

"In my mind, I had already made up where I wanted to go,” he said. “The commitment shown by FC Seoul showed how much they wanted me at the club. It was only right for me to repay that and come to the club."

He also responded to concerns that his interest in Seoul was not purely football related. Lingard owns both an apparel label and an Esports team, and some fans have questioned whether the move to Korea might have been motivated at least in part by the popularity of gaming and fashion here.

"I keep my football and business separate,” Lingard said. "Football comes first. My main priority is to play football.

“It's to do well on the pitch and it's to win games and help my teammates. That's the most important thing. That's why I've made the move out here. The rest of it follows.

With Esports, I know it's massive out here and eventually we'll get into that. But for now, it's all football focused."
On the pitch, Lingard says his goal is to win some silverware.

"Now I'm finally signed, I can concentrate on football," Lingard said. "I am looking forward to getting back on the pitch and winning with FC Seoul because I am a winner and a competitor and I want to win a trophy while I am here."

FC Seoul need all the help they can get, finishing seventh on the 12-team last season and ninth the year before. The club last took the title in 2016 and have not won the FA Cup since 2015.

Lingard is expected to fly to Japan within the next week to join the FC Seoul squad in preseason training, where he will also get the chance to get to know another former Premier League player better — captain Ki Sung-yeung.

"He's a very good player, a very technical player,” Lingard said.” I was blessed to play against him a few times while he was at Swansea.

“I know what he can bring to the team. I know the synergy we can create on the pitch will work out perfect."

BY JIM BULLEY [jim.bulley@joongang.co.kr]