After two years of stardom in South Korea, Lingard aims to challenge the Premier League again.

Written by Han Bing On December 10th, former Manchester United star Lingard ended his 22-month stint in South Korea with a farewell AFC Champions League Elite match against Melbourne City. He celebrated his goal with Michael Jackson’s moonwalk as a tribute to his departure. The ex-England international is regarded by Korean media and fans as the most influential player in K League history, not only because his transfer fee of 6 million euros in February 2024 set a record for the league, but also because he holds the highest career market value of any K League player, reaching up to 40 million euros.

Lingard filled the void of multi-million euro stars in the K League and earned the league’s highest annual salary of 1.25 million euros (1.82 billion KRW). After joining in February 2024, he sparked the “Lingard Effect” in South Korea: FC Seoul’s mobile season tickets sold out within one minute on February 19, and 1,000 jerseys released on the 22nd were instantly snapped up. The club’s official YouTube channel views surged nearly 4.8 times, and their Instagram followers rose from 71,000 to 99,000.

Despite being limited to 26 appearances for FC Seoul in the 2024 season due to a knee injury, the club’s home attendance surpassed 500,000 for the first time, including two matches with over 50,000 spectators. This set a new K League attendance record, with ticket revenue reaching 53 million euros (7.662 billion KRW). In 2025, Lingard’s jersey sales hit a new FC Seoul record, with the home red jersey often out of stock. Lingard generated unprecedented ticket, merchandise, and sponsorship income for FC Seoul, and his contract included a share of these revenues, creating a win-win situation for both the English star and the club.

Reflecting on his two years in South Korea, Lingard said he had a great time and felt a sense of belonging, which is why he fulfilled his two-year contract. His most memorable moment was the October 26 K1 League match where FC Seoul overturned a 0-2 deficit against Gangwon FC to win 4-2. Coming off the bench for 26 minutes, Lingard scored twice to equalize and laid the foundation for four goals in the last 27 minutes. His most regrettable incident was last September when he was fined 190,000 KRW (about 1,000 RMB) by Korean traffic police for riding an electric scooter without a license, helmet, carrying a passenger illegally, and driving against traffic.

At his farewell, Lingard pointed out issues in Korean football.

First, he criticized the pitch conditions: “In the UK and Europe, stadiums have underground heating systems, so matches and training can continue even in snow, but Korea doesn’t have this.” Then he addressed refereeing problems: “It seems Korean referees try to provoke fans all season long, sometimes becoming too emotional and losing control of the game. While pitches and club facilities can be gradually improved, the refereeing issue needs urgent resolution.”

On December 15, when Lingard turns 33, he stated that leaving Korea is to “embrace new challenges.” Korean media speculate his next destination might be North America, while UK outlet Sports Boom revealed Lingard has had preliminary talks with two Premier League clubs. His contract with FC Seoul expires at the end of this year, but the renewal option was not activated. Lingard is confident that his recent strong performances will earn him a contract to return to the Premier League.

After Nottingham Forest did not renew his contract following one season in July 2023, the former Manchester United star was unemployed for seven months before joining the K1 League. Over two years at FC Seoul, Lingard made 67 appearances, scoring 19 goals and providing 10 assists. This season, in 41 games, he has netted 13 goals and assisted 7, with his form improving recently. In the last 20 days, across four matches (two K1 League and two AFC Champions League Elite), he contributed to six goals total—four scored and two assisted—averaging one goal and 1.5 goal involvements per game. In the last two AFC Champions League Elite matches, he scored three goals and assisted once, participating in all four of FC Seoul’s goals.

Lingard is eager to return to the Premier League to prove himself once more. His last Premier League goal was in September 2021 when Manchester United defeated West Ham 2-1. During the first half of 2021, he was loaned to West Ham, where from February to April he scored nine goals and assisted four in ten Premier League games—unfortunately his last highlight in the league. This time, although Lingard said his priority is to enjoy a holiday with his family and then seek a new club in January, his free-agent status gives him a natural advantage to rejoin the Premier League.