"The last day, I was crying on the way home" – Jesse Lingard opens up on frustrating Manchester United exit

FC Seoul star Jesse Lingard has revealed that he was emotional while leaving boyhood team Manchester United in the summer of 2022, also claiming he needed to end the chapter.

Lingard, 32, rose through the Red Devils' youth setup after joining at the age of seven in 2000. He made his debut for United in 2014 after loan spells at Leicester City, Birmingham City, and Brighton & Hove Albion.

The former England international helped Manchester United win four trophies in the following years. He relished a fine loan spell at West Ham United in the 2020-21 campaign, but failed to replicate the form at the Red Devils in the 2021-22 term. Subsequently, he left as a free agent in 2022.

Opening up on his Manchester United exit, Lingard told The Independent:

"I was really dialled in and locked in at that time. The way I played, when you come back to your home club, you're expecting to play. Obviously, that didn't happen. You get frustrated."

Lingard, who scored 35 goals in 232 overall games for United, concluded:

"My application in training each day was always 100 per cent, you know... but, you come to a certain time where you need to leave. The last day, I was crying on the way home... to leave was obviously emotional but it was what I needed to do."

After departing the Red Devils, Lingard penned a one-year deal at Nottingham Forest in 2022 before being released in July 2023. Afterwards, he joined FC Seoul in February 2024, signing a deal until December 2025.

Pundit slams Manchester United star's outings

Arsenal legend Martin Keown has hit out at Matthijs de Ligt following Manchester United's 1-0 Premier League defeat at Tottenham Hotspur earlier on Sunday. He opined on talkSPORT (h/t Metro):

"I look at De Ligt, the amount of money they spent on him by the way is almost obscene for a centre-half. He's playing like a robot. There's times he can clear the ball and he puts it out for a corner. He just creates issues for the team. Ruben Amorim needs to empower him with confidence, I'm not seeing any of that with him."

De Ligt, 25, left Bayern Munich in a potential £43 million move to join the Red Devils earlier this August. He has started 27 of his 32 appearances in all competitions for his new team, scoring one goal in the process.

The Ajax academy product has a deal until June 2029 at the Red Devils.