Jesse Lingard could've had a stellar career as a footballer. However, his trajectory has gone downward instead of upward. He has gone from starboy - scoring the winner for Manchester United against Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final - to being questioned about his footballing abilities.
He broke into the senior squad in the 2015-16 season. He would score his first goal againt West Brom. A few memorable goals during the season included a nutmeg on the keeper (went through his legs) and a diving header. He scored the aforementioned goal that season.
His stock continued to rise as he would score in the Community Shield against Leicester City. He would score another vital one in the final of the League Cup against Southampton. He was rewarded with a new, 4 year and 1 optional year contract.
Soon, Ole Gunnar Solksjaer would take charge and this could be the catalyst for his current situation. Intially, at the beginning, Lingard would double his tally. His playing time became limited and scoring goals became sparse. In 2020, he scored a goal against Leicester City. His last goal he scored was in December 2018.
His time was so limited that he secured a loan move to West Ham. This move brought out a new lease of life for him. In a match against Wolves, he carried the ball 52m and eventually scored. In his first ten games for West Ham, he scored 9 goals and provided 4 assists. Thus, this meant he had scored more Premier League goals for West Ham than he ever managed in a single season at Manchester United. At the end of the loan spell, he had played 16 games, scored nine and assisted five goals. He returned to Manchester the following season but nothing changed. It was announced that he would leave the club at the end of the season.
It was widely expected that he would join West Ham. However, this wasn't the case. He opted to join Nottingham Forest on a one year deal. He would become the highest paid player for the 22/23 season. He was highly criticised for this move. It could be argued that he had zero affect on the team. In 17 league games, he scored and assisted a grand total of 0. He did score and assist 2 apeice in the League Cup. This led to a semi-final finish. He was released from the club at the end of the season.
He remained as a free agent until February of this year. He signed for South Korean K League club FC Seoul on a 2 year deal. This signing was described as "the biggest signing in the K League's history" by South Korean football journalist, Lee Sungmo.
As of this writing, FC Seoul have played three games and have collect four points (one draw, one loss and one win). Lingard has been left to be a substitute player. The latest match, against Jeju, the coach, Kim Gi-dong, was left unhappy. He stated, "Even though he came on as a substitute, he didn't work hard and avoided tussle."
As I've said previously, sports performances are confidence based. The less the confidence, the poorer the manner of play. I believe the mistake was joining the wrong team (no offence Forest fans). He found confidence playing for West Ham and that's where his next destination should've been. Who knows what could've happened if he joined the club. Lingard's performances might have been very impressive and once again, his value could've been as high as Mt. Everest. His future could've been bright.