Former Manchester United and West Ham star Jesse Lingard has hit back at critics claiming his time in England was a failure.
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Lingard hits back at criticsReveals rule that Wayne Rooney told himMidfielder is captain of FC SeoulFollow GOAL on WhatsApp! 🟢📱WHAT HAPPENED?
The former England international has insisted that his time in England, where he won the FA Cup, League Cup and Europa League, was a success. The 32-year-old, now playing in South Korea and captain of FC Seoul, told the that he feels positively about his career and has not let critics of his often-playful attitude affect him. Rather, he insists that he is enjoying his time in the Korean capital as he closes out his playing career.
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Lingard explained: "I 100 per cent do not feel failure, I feel achievement. You just gotta look at my story from seven years old, a kid from Warrington making it all the way through. The percentages of that are like 0.2 per cent or something. I got chosen.
"You have to work hard. Go to digs and leave your family at 12 years old and move schools and be in a different environment. And I was the smallest. I was tiny. Sometimes I had to play down a year. So I've been through the mill, from a football point of view."
Getty Images SportTHE BIGGER PICTURE
Lingard's career was littered with a series of high points – including goals in the FA Cup, League Cup and Community Shield finals for United – which helped cultivate a fan favourite status at the club. Lingard, particularly in spells for United and West Ham, was capable of producing spectacular moments but struggled for consistency and, following a disastrous permanent switch to Nottingham Forest, saw his time in England fizzle out. Despite these successes, many believed he should have achieved more in England and argue his attitude was at fault for that supposed 'failure'. However, Lingard is keen to dismiss any questions surrounding his attitude, and argues he followed Wayne Rooney's rule to keep himself grounded.
WHAT WAS ROONEY'S RULE?
Lingard revealed: "Wayne Rooney told me: 'Don't buy your first car until you’ve played 50 games.' Obviously 50 games came and I drove in a Range Rover, parked up and Rooney is like: 'Whose is that? Have you played 50 games now?'
"And that was me accepted. I have never tried to be flash. Of course, if you have nice things sometimes you wanna show them. But the photographers would follow me and take pictures of me in my car every time we drove in."