Jesse Lingard gets off the mark! Ex-Man Utd star bags first goal as FC Seoul rout university team 11-1 in behind-closed-doors friendly

The former Nottingham Forest and West Ham midfielder signed for the Korean giants last month, having reportedly turned down as many as 26 offers from clubs around the world. Lingard is enjoying his first minutes as FC Seoul continue their pre-season, with their latest match coming against Japanese university side Kanoya. Saturday’s fixture ended in a convincing 11-1 scoreline, which saw Lingard get off the mark and get 50 minutes in the tank.

The English midfielder celebrated getting back to match fitness on Instagram, writing “50 mins and a goal” alongside prayer and rocket emojis.

The match is yet more minutes on the clock for Lingard, who impressed in FC Seoul’s last outing against second-tier side Roasso Kumamoto. The 31-year-old appears to have made an immediate impact in Korea and showed off his talents in a recent shooting drill for the K-League 1 side. That should come as no surprise, though, given his experience in Premier League, Champions League and World Cup campaigns.

Pre-season will continue for FC Seoul as they gear up for a return to K-League 1 action. Lingard’s first competitive match for his new club could come in their league opener away to Gwangju on March 2.