Jesse Lingard named FC Seoul captain for 2025 season

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Jesse Lingard named FC Seoul captain for 2025 season

FC Seoul midfielder Jesse Lingard, right, dribbles during the K League 1 match against Incheon United at Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul on March 10, 2024. [YONHAP]

FC Seoul midfielder Jesse Lingard, right, dribbles during the K League 1 match against Incheon United at Seoul World Cup Stadium in western Seoul on March 10, 2024. [YONHAP]

 
FC Seoul announced Wednesday that the club has appointed Jesse Lingard as captain for the 2025 K League 1 season.
 

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The English midfielder will lead the capital side alongside vice-captain Kim Jin-su.
 
Lingard also wore the captain’s armband in the second half of last season after earning it in June.
 
The 2025 campaign will mark Lingard’s second season with FC Seoul. He joined the club in February last year on a two-year deal with an option to extend for an additional year.
 
The former Manchester United midfielder initially struggled to integrate into the squad last season, even drawing criticism from FC Seoul manager Kim Gi-dong, who famously said about Lingard, “Fame doesn’t win football games. If it did, I would have brought in a famous retired player.” However, Lingard made significant progress as the season unfolded.
 
By June, he was named team captain and scored his first goal against Gangwon FC on June 26. Lingard went on to finish his debut K League season with six goals and three assists in 26 league appearances.  
 
His arrival also had a noticeable impact on FC Seoul’s attendance figures. His home debut on March 10 drew 51,670 fans, setting a new club record and surpassing the previous high of 47,899, achieved during a match against Suwon Samsung Bluewings in 2016.
 
Lingard’s captaincy begins with FC Seoul’s 2025 season opener against Jeju SK in Jeju on Feb. 15. The team will then return to Seoul for their first home game on Feb. 22, facing newly-promoted FC Anyang.
 
FC Seoul finished fourth in the 12-team league last season but failed to end their trophy drought, which has persisted since their league title win in 2016.
 
The 2025 season will run through November, followed by promotion-relegation playoffs after the regular campaign.

BY PAIK JI-HWAN [[email protected]]
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