2025-12-24 10:31:53
Jesse Lingard thinks FC Seoul has made him “more mature”.
The 33-year-old midfielder signed for the Korean club in February 2024 and recently played his last game but he believes he has been hugely changed by his time with the side, who he captained.
He told The Guardian newspaper: “I feel that I’m more mature now, more responsible.”
Despite the cultural differences, Jesse settled in well to life at the club, thanks largely to quickly picking up the language.
He said: “Most of the players could speak good English.
“The manager, Kim Gi-dong, spoke to me through a translator, although in the second year he got a few English words.
“But d’you know what? My Korean was good. I learned off a young player called Ham Sun-woo.
“When I joined up for my first pre-season, he’d come to my room. He couldn’t speak English but he was there, trying my hats on, looking at my watch. He had a good energy, a good vibe about him and we just clicked.
“At first, we’d speak through the translator but he’d pick up little words that I would say and I’d pick up his words in Korean. That’s how I learned – just through him. And he learned English through me. Eventually we’d be able to go for dinner by ourselves because we could communicate with each other.”
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