Despite having a difficult start to his football career and seeing a significant pay reduction, Jesse Lingard is still happy that he moved to South Korea.
In February, the former Manchester United player created a stir by signing a two-year contract with FC Seoul.
The 31-year-old attacking midfielder claimed he had offers from 26 teams throughout the world, but he ultimately chose to play for the side in South Korea’s capital city.
He appeared for the first time since April 2023 when he played in the K League last week. His last appearance in the Premier League was for Nottingham Forest against Man United.
Sadly, Lingard’s debut didn’t quite go as planned; Seoul lost 2-0 to Gwangju and Lingard was given a booking after just 13 minutes of play.
According to the Mirror, Lingard is currently making £17,500 per week in South Korea, which is significantly less than the enormous £180,000 he used to make at Nottingham Forest and the £100,000 he bagged at Man United.
That may not sound like much, but with his new side, he’s still making around £910,000 a year. In addition, he has his own fashion line and a network of jerk chicken restaurants, which help him maintain a steady stream of income.
The former England international failed to make an impact at Old Trafford and left the club for spells at West Ham United and Nottingham Forest.
He came through the youth ranks at United and many believed he would have a promising future but he failed to live up to the early expectations people at Old Trafford had about him.
