Jesse Lingard’s voice carries no regret, as he addresses critics who’ve labeled his Manchester United career a failure. Since moving to South Korea to play for FC Seoul, the 32 year old former Manchester United midfielder remains unapologetically proud of a journey that saw him rise from Warrington’s streets to Old Trafford’s sacred turf.
0.2% Chance – I Made It
Lingard’s denial is rooted in cold stats. “100 percent do not feel failure, I feel achievement,” he told The Daily Mail. “You just gotta look at my story from seven years old, a kid from Warrington making it all the way through. The percentages of that are like 0.2 percent or something. I got chosen.”
His path wasn’t smooth. Leaving family at 12 for United’s academy, battling size disparities suggesting he played down a year and a six-month injury post-debut. Loans to various teams including Leicester, Birmingham, and Derby before making it at Manchester United shaped him as a professional, but Sir Alex Ferguson’s prediction kept him grounded: “Fergie always believed in me… For him to say when I was young that by 22 or 23 I’d be in the first team was really something.”
Rooney’s Car Rule
Lingard was lucky to have Wayne Rooney as his mentor during the early days. Rooney who himself exploded onto the scene when he was just a teenager at Everton enforced humble practices at the club for youngsters. “Don’t buy your first car until you’ve played 50 games.” Lingard recalled: “Obviously 50 games came and I drove in a Range Rover… Rooney is like: ‘Whose is that? Have you played 50 games now?’”
Culture Wars & Bruno’s Leadership
Social media accusations that Lingard and Paul Pogba “destroyed United’s culture” draw a sharp response from Lingard. “But ruining culture? We only tried to make it stronger,” he fired back. “We responded to success… we were winning games. So that is good culture, yeah?”
He reserves praise for current captain Bruno Fernandes: “Look at Bruno. He can [handle pressure]. I love Bruno to death. We spoke a lot… he always wanted to do well so badly. He’s the main figure now—that’s what you need.”
Seoul Revival & Future Plans
Since leaving Nottingham Forest in 2023, Lingard has rebuilt in South Korea, captaining FC Seoul and embracing a new challenge. Reflecting on his United exit, he’s nostalgic, “I am happy… scoring in cup finals, playing for my country, the World Cup—no one takes that away,” Lingard recalls his career.
As for what’s next? Maybe acting for him, but for now, he’s content with sharing his narrative, one he insists was never about failure but beating impossible odds.