I made such a bond': Jesse Lingard on life in South Korea and his next challenge

"The food is different, obviously, and I tried live octopus, Lingard says. It was moving. I was scared at first but it was all right. Lingard loved how the people of Seoul would react to him on the street. It's always like: Oh!' he says, mimicking a sharp intake of breath, putting his hand over his mouth and opening his eyes as wide as possible. They get very shocked. Then they go: Lingard, Lingard.' And come over for a photo."

"It was not always so innocent when it came to the Seoul fans, Lingard remembering the run of five straight home defeats last season and a number of losses this time out that should not have happened. They would wait outside the stadium and block the bus in for an hour and make the coach go and speak to them, he says. It was crazy. It's because Seoul is the biggest club in the country."

"Lingard is back in his hometown of Warrington, looking forward to Christmas with family and beyond that to his next challenge. He describes himself as open as to where it may be. Europe, Saudi, UAE he says. Lingard's next club will get a player who retains ferocious drive and stamina. In his final four games for Seoul, the last against Melbourne City in th"

Jesse Lingard spent two seasons with FC Seoul and learned enough Korean to make himself understood while living in South Korea. He experienced cultural quirks and tried live octopus, admitting he was initially scared but enjoyed it. Seoul supporters reacted enthusiastically to him in public but also expressed frustration after poor results, once blocking the team bus and demanding explanations. Lingard compared Seoul's expectations to Manchester United and believes he left a strong legacy. He returned to Warrington for Christmas with family and is open to future moves to Europe, Saudi or the UAE.

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