JESSE LINGARD has opened up on the family heartache that kept him out of football during the first half of last season.
The former Manchester United star, 31, was released by Nottingham Forest at the end of the 2022-23 campaign.
He did not sign for another team that summer and remained a free agent until joining FC Seoul in February.
Having suffered with knee and Achilles issues during his year at Forest, Lingard took a little while to get going in South Korea, but as his first season in the K-League nears its conclusion, he has begun to hit his stride.
In a brave column written for The Times, Lingard has opened up on his time out of the game.
The attacking midfielder trained hard during the summer as he looked for a new club, but as his grandma fell ill, family became the priority.
Lingard held a close relationship with his grandparents throughout his life, with Grandad Ken and Grandma Pamela having supported him during his childhood – particularly as his mum Kirsty battled depression.
In his column the former England star told how brilliant his grandparents were for him, before revealing of Pamela: “Over the course of last summer, she became really poorly.
“She was in and out of hospital and though I was training hard and missed being at a club, it felt like being out of contract was God’s plan: I’m not going to give you a team right now, you need to stay home and be with your family.
“So that’s what I did. I spent as much time as I could with them and in November, when Nan passed away, Grandad took it really hard.
“He was depressed and suffering dizzy spells and was hospitalised himself. He needed looking after too, and there was the funeral to organise and a speech to give.
“I believe things happen for a reason and that, while my family was suffering, it was just written for me to take a break from playing.”
After Christmas, Lingard began to ramp up his training again.
He headed to Dubai to take part in strict daily double sessions in a fitness regiment that also involved completely ditching booze.
FC Seoul impressed Lingard by sending two club staff members all the way to Manchester just to watch him train and play five-aside.
He went on to sign for the K-League side on February 7, receiving a hero’s welcome from their supporters.
His home debut saw a record crowd pack into Seoul World Cup Stadium to catch a glimpse of their new man in action.
As he has regained form and sharpness, Lingard has begun to find his groove.
To date he has scored five goals in 21 games for FC Seoul, who sit fifth in the K-League table after 33 games.
And Lingard, who has another year remaining on his contract, has pledged that there is more to come.
He said: “It’ll be tough to win the title, but we’ll give it a shot and if there’s one message I’d like you to take, it’s this: that I came to Korea to achieve things and leave something behind.
“That I might be a long way from home, but I’m back on that pitch. I’m all-in.”
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