As Jesse Lingard continues to adjust to life in South Korea, he participated in a “Jurgen Klopp-style” post-match custom with his FC Seoul teammates.
Following his release by Nottingham Forest in the summer, Lingard was without a club until last month, when he signed with the K League 1 team.
Despite coming off the bench for the final 13 minutes of a 2-0 loss to Gwangju, he was booked in added time, ruining his ideal debut. A week later, he made his club debut, starting 60 minutes of a 0-0 home draw with Incheon.
However, on Saturday, Lingard finally participated in a victory in front of his home supporters as Seoul defeated Jeju 2-0. Playing the last thirty-three minutes was the former Manchester United midfielder.
You can watch him participate in an FC Seoul custom following the game below.
FC Seoul players have a custom of standing in front of the team’s supporters, who sing the player’s name, and give three fist pumps, a la Liverpool manager Klopp.
There are other players in the Seoul roster with Premier League experience besides Lingard. Ki Sung-Yeung, a cult favourite at Swansea who scored the second goal in his team’s 2-0 victory over Jeju, is the captain of the team.
Additionally, earlier last week, Lingard’s first home game for his new team saw a record-breaking turnout for a K League game.
Thousands of fans also waited in line at the club’s stadium’s “Lingard Zone,” a dedicated retail section established in response to the midfielder’s extraordinary demand upon his arrival in South Korea.
Subsequently, it was verified that 51,670 spectators witnessed the Gyeongin Derby, setting an official K League record.
When FC Seoul played Daegu in 2018 in front of a crowd of 45,007 at their 66,000-seat stadium, they set the previous record as well.
