Jesse Lingard has become known throughout the years for his off-the-pitch shenanigans and social media posting, but the talented English midfielder can deliver when in form. That is something that he showed during his time at Manchester United, scoring in three different finals to get the team an FA Cup, Community Shield, and League Cup.
The former United academy player has had a career with a lot of ups and downs, though. While his initial years at United were overall positive, oftentimes contributing with key goals, the Englishman was often criticized for his social media postings.
It may sound like a joke these days, especially considering what players tend to publish online, but there was a time when Lingard posting videos of him dancing was criticized by supporters. Moreover, it was the source of ire from a lot of United fans, who viewed this behavior from the midfielder as lacking professionalism.
However, an underrated constant throughout Lingard’s career, one that also earned him a place as a starter with England in the 2018 World Cup, was his ability to work without the ball. The Englishman often ranks as one of the best at pressing and running in his teams, which allows him to be a very underrated tactical tool for his managers.
This is something that came in full force with manager Gareth Southgate in the aforementioned 2018 World Cup in Russia, leading to the semifinals for the first time in 28 years. This also came with a period of mental struggles for Lingard because of personal issues in his life, with his 2021 loan deal with West Ham United being a bright spot in a rather dire era of his career.
While there is a strong argument to be made that the 32-year-old is now past his prime, he recently demonstrated his talents in FC Seoul’s 1-0 victory over Ulsan Hyundai. The Englishman proved to be on a league of his own in this match as he scored a wonderful goal to give his team the victory.
Lingard controlled the ball outside of the opposition’s are and took a shot without letting it fall, leading to a powerful finish.
Jesse Lingard’s still got it in Korea…🤩pic.twitter.com/zsK9ddUmyW
— george (@StokeyyG2) July 20, 2025
The former Manchester United man is absolutely not a stranger when it comes to scoring wonderful goals, having perhaps one of the most underrated catalogs in that department. Some of these include his solo goal against Leicester City in the 2016 Community Shield or his goal against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge in the 2015/16 season.
This result has also been key to propel the team to fourth place in the K League 1. Ulsan Hyundai themselves have one extra game left to play and they could overcome them since the difference is only three points, but it is a key victory for Lingard’s side thus far.
The goal, the context, the finish… Lingard has been no stranger to moments such as this, which is why some long-time fans of the player are very happy for him. Moreover, after all the difficulties he went through in his personal life, it is nice to see him performing at a place where he seems to be at peace. Sometimes, that is all that matters to a player.
