Jesse Lingard’s Thoughts on his K-League Debut… “I’m Grateful to be Back on the Field”
“I’m blessed and grateful to be back on the field doing what I love most.”
This grammatically incorrect sentence is the impression of Jesse Lingard (Seoul),
who is considered the most experienced foreign player of all time,
on his professional soccer K-League debut. 파워볼게임
Lingard came on in the 31st minute of the second half of the away game
against Gwangju FC in the Hana Bank K League 1 2024 1st round held at Gwangju Soccer Stadium
on the 2nd and met Korean fans at the ground for the first time.
After the game ended with Seoul losing 0-2,
Lingard shared his first game review in Korean through social networking service (SNS).
He did not express his thoughts at the scene.
We silently passed by the common reporting area where reporters were gathered.
Before this game, Lingard’s last official match was an English Premier League (EPL)
match against his ‘home team’ Manchester United,
played for Nottingham Forest in April last year.
At that time, Jesse Lingard was brought on as a substitute in the 43rd minute of the second half and played only briefly.
Lingard, who played his first official game in 11 months, is not in perfect physical condition.
Unable to increase his attack points, he roughly blocked the opponent’s counterattack in extra time in the second half and received his ‘first yellow card’ in the K-League.
Gwangju fans who filled the Gwangju Soccer Stadium loudly chanted ‘send off’, saying that Lingard,
who made a dangerous tackle, should be given a red card rather than a yellow card.
On this day, 7,805 spectators visited Gwangju Soccer Stadium.
Tickets were sold out just 2 minutes and 30 seconds after the reservation began,
and many people were looking for tickets that were canceled on site.
Foreign media also paid attention to England’s Lingard’s K-League debut.
British media such as the Daily Mail and Mirror criticized Lingard’s first game, calling it a ‘nightmarish debut.’
In particular, it was emphasized that even before his debut, he was booed by Korean fans for his rough tackles.