"I cried on the way home": Jesse Lingard on leaving Manchester United
Yasmine Green
Dailysports's expert
Translated by the editors
FC Seoul midfielder Jesse Lingard has opened up about the emotional toll of leaving Manchester United in an interview with The Independent. The Englishman, who had been with the club since the age of seven, admitted that his departure was incredibly difficult and that he even broke down in tears on his final day.
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Lingard left United in 2022 after an unsuccessful attempt to re-establish himself following a highly successful loan spell at West Ham. His dreams of making a lasting impact at Old Trafford were dashed as he made just two Premier League starts in the entire season. Realizing he had no future at the club, he knew it was time to move on.
“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,” Lingard admitted.
After his departure from United, Lingard signed with Nottingham Forest, where he spent a year and made 20 appearances. Following that, he spent eight months without a club before eventually securing a contract with South Korean side FC Seoul.
