Lingard on Man Utd, Forest regrets and playing in South Korea

Jesse Lingard is 5,500 miles from location - but immoderate things ne'er change.

Speaking to BBC Sport, nan erstwhile England world reflects connected nan tests and tribulations that person led him to play for Seoul FC successful South Korea's bustling superior city.

Manchester United, though, are ne'er excessively acold from his mind. When they faced Tottenham successful nan Europa League last past week, he was tuned in.

"I watched it. It was connected 4am my clip - truthful I went to furniture astatine 9pm and group my alarm," says Lingard.

"I had to watch nan final. My emotion and support will ever beryllium pinch United. I still watch their games aliases drawback highlights."

On reflection, Lingard whitethorn consciousness it wasn't worthy nan hassle. His boyhood nine mislaid 1-0, successful a crippled panned arsenic 1 of nan worst European finals successful caller history.

But contempt his caller life successful eastbound Asia, nan 32-year-old's affection for United hasn't waned.

"They will ever beryllium 1 of nan biggest clubs successful nan world and supporters will support them done heavy and thin," he says.

"It mightiness beryllium a semipermanent task pinch [Ruben] Amorim. He knows what he wants to do.

"It's reliable erstwhile you're not successful nan Champions League to pull players truthful he was relying connected winning nan Europa League.

"It's harder to enlistee erstwhile you're not successful nan Champions League. It's 100% a factor."

The eight-hour clip quality doesn't conscionable create difficulties successful position of Lingard watching his beloved Manchester United.

When he embarked connected his caller adventure, he knew he would do truthful without his girl Hope and mother Kirsty.

His family person made nan travel to Seoul to sojourn Lingard, but staying adjacent tin beryllium tricky.

"It's conscionable Facetime calls, really. It's reliable because you want to beryllium location successful existent life," says Lingard.

"But what's bully is that my girl understands what I'm doing and why I'm doing it.

"She is ever connected nan Nintendo, playing pinch FC Seoul and scoring goals playing arsenic me.

"But it is difficult pinch Facetime because we are 8 hours up truthful you person to drawback her astatine nan correct time."

But Lingard has nary regrets that his profession has taken him to South Korea.

Leaving Manchester United was a wrench. He'd spent 22 years astatine Old Trafford earlier leaving for Nottingham Forest successful 2022.

The move to nan City Ground didn't spell according to scheme – an wounded deed run restricted Lingard to 12 Premier League starts earlier his 12-month statement expired successful nan summertime of 2023.

Lingard does person regrets astir nan Forest move. He could person gone to West Ham, wherever he had enjoyed a resurgence during a six-month indebtedness stint successful 2021.

He had done truthful good astatine London Stadium that he was recalled into nan provisional England squad for nan delayed Euro 2020, conscionable missing nan trim for nan last party.

Under David Moyes, nan Warrington-born footballer produced immoderate of nan champion shot of his career.

So erstwhile nan opportunity arose to beryllium reunited pinch Moyes connected a imperishable ground successful nan summertime of 2022, Lingard's bosom was already successful eastbound London.

So why did he extremity up astatine Forest?

"The Forest deal, erstwhile we were going done that - and I don't want to spell into excessively overmuch item - but I wasn't successful power of thing astatine that time," he says.

"I fundamentally didn't person a choice. I knew what I wanted to do, I knew what connection was connected nan array from West Ham and what was connected connection from Forest - location was a spot I'd person preferred to go.

"But group person their ain opportunity and astatine nan clip I didn't really consciousness for illustration I could sound my opinion.

"Now I tin spot group didn't person my champion interests [at heart]. But evidently West Ham didn't happen. I went to Forest.

"The Forest point happened for a reason, for maine to find retired definite things."

Lingard has recovered bid of mind crossed nan different broadside of nan world.

His commencement successful South Korea didn't spell according to plan; meniscus room curtailed his advancement during his first season.

Slowly but surely, however, Lingard is rediscovering his emotion for nan game.

He says he is arsenic fresh and beardown arsenic he has ever been.

"I'm moving betwixt 10km to 12km each game, my high-speed runs are ever high," Lingard says.

Playing successful nan power takes its toll, but nan gruelling conditions person forced Lingard to find greater levels of self-discipline.

"I've been injury-free nan full season, taking attraction of my body, recovering better, eating nan correct foods. Being professional," Lingard says.

"In England I had my cook and individual trainer pinch me. Here it is wholly different. I've sewage to do it connected my own.

"I retrieve 1 of nan first games successful Jeju - I felt for illustration I was blowing aft a mates of minutes. So humid.

"The tempo is precocious retired here, nan games are intense. At nan start, I wasn't fit, but erstwhile I recovered nan hit I sewage utilized to it."

The symptom of leaving Manchester United is down Lingard, and nan unease of his move to Nottingham Forest has gone.

While galore would mobility his determination to time off European shot for South Korea, Lingard is enjoying his shot - and enjoying his life.

"At nan clip I wasn't playing astatine United, I became stressed because each I wanted to do was play shot - and erstwhile you go stressed you go distracted," Lingard says.

"I'm retired present to find peace. Happiness is bid astatine nan extremity of nan day. If you tin find that, it doesn't matter wherever you are.

"I'm still playing shot and I'm enjoying myself. I still person galore years of playing shot up of maine - I'm 32 but nan stats don't show that I'm 32.

"I tin play for a agelong time. It has 100% been nan correct choice. It was a caller start, to get my happiness backmost playing football, that was nan main thing.

"It's been an astonishing experience. Different cultures, nan group are amazing, nan metropolis is amazing.

"I consciousness I've travel connected leaps and bounds mentally. I deliberation nan move has improved my outlook connected life."

Seoul will intelligibly ever person a typical spot successful Lingard's heart. But nan future?

Lingard's statement expires astatine nan extremity of nan existent K-League play successful November, but FC Seoul person an action to widen his woody by a further 12 months.

"I've thought astir nan early rather a bit," adds Lingard.

"Not overmuch tin hap this play truthful I conscionable want to ore connected football. But different possibilities are retired location - of people you are going to deliberation astir it.

"We are only human. We will spot what happens erstwhile nan [transfer] model opens."