Jesse Lingard’s impact at FC Seoul in South Korea has ignited fervor in the club’s first home match of the new season. To acquire the former Manchester United star’s jersey, fans had to wait for up to four hours.
Lingard’s sensation in South Korea saw fans queuing for four hours to purchase his jersey. Jesse Lingard penned a contract with FC Seoul ahead of the new season, immediately sparking excitement in the land of kimchi. In the season opener, Seoul visited Gwangju, prompting the latter to sell out tickets within two hours of opening. Gwangju FC had to increase the stadium capacity from 7,500 to 7,700 seats to accommodate the demand.
In the second match, FC Seoul played at home, where Lingard demonstrated his popularity rivaling K-Pop stars. Statistics revealed a record attendance of 51,670 spectators at the Seoul World Cup Stadium, setting a new record for a home opener. The previous record belonged to Daegu FC with 39,871 attendees since the K.League’s format change in 2013.
Due to the Lingard frenzy, FC Seoul had to establish a dedicated area solely for selling the star’s jerseys, named the “Lingard Zone.” Thousands of fans queued to purchase items related to the player.
Even Lingard himself expressed surprise at the fervent admiration from South Korean fans. He shared post-match, “I didn’t know they had to queue for four hours. I feel welcomed and loved right from the early days. I’m adapting quickly and receiving support from many, which is fantastic for me. I want to sign every jersey and take photos with everyone, but in reality, I can’t do that.”
As of now, Lingard has yet to reach peak fitness, but progress is on a positive trajectory. In the season opener against Gwangju (lost 0-2), he entered the field in the 66th minute. In the match against Incheon (draw 0-0), Lingard came on in the 30th minute. It is likely that Lingard’s playing time will increase as FC Seoul seeks their first win of the new season.