"The name value has no meaning on the pitch" - FC Seoul manager hits out at Jesse Lingard

FC Seoul manager Kim Gi-Dong was critical of star attacker Jesse Lingard after his side's 2-0 win over Jeju in the K League 1. The former Manchester United man was introduced off the bench in the second half with his side already two goals up at home.

After getting released by Nottingham Forest at the end of the 2022-23 season, Lingard remained without a club for months. Approaches from multiple sides in the Championship and Europe did not work out, as well as a spell training with Al-Ettifaq.

Jesse Lingard secured a move to the K League 1 with FC Seoul, but has failed to hit the ground running since his arrival at the club. The 31-year-old has appeared only three times as a substitute since his arrival in Korea, and has failed to really impress.

Kim Gi-Dong spoke to the media about the England international, criticizing his lack of effort in his most recent appearance. The manager revealed that he planned on speaking with the attacking midfielder about his application on the pitch for his club.

"Even though he came on as a substitute, he didn’t work hard and avoided tussle. The name value has no meaning on the pitch. I will tell him this exactly."

Lingard has been booked in two of his three appearances since moving to Korea, and is yet to start a game for the club, who are seventh in the league. He will hope to feature for the side when league action returns after the international break with a game against Gangwon.

Jesse Lingard tastes first win since FC Seoul switch

Jesse Lingard moved to FC Seoul at the start of 2024 after playing only about 84 minutes of professional football in the whole of 2023. The former West Ham man last featured for Nottingham Forest where he failed to make his impact felt.

Lingard was introduced off the bench in the second half against Jeju, with his side already two goals up. Two goals in four minutes from Stanislav Illjutcenko and former Swansea man Sung-Yeung Ki in the first half put the home side ahead.

Jesse Lingard replaced Ryu Jae-Moon after 58 minutes of the encounter and received a booking in added time in the game. The Englishman has featured in all three league games for his side this season, and will be expected to play a central role as the season progresses.