Former Man Utd star Jesse Lingard joins Corinthians to begin new chapter in Brazil

The former Manchester United and England forward has agreed a deal running until the end of 2026, with the option of an additional year. Lingard, who will wear the No. 77 shirt, arrives in Sao Paulo after leaving FC Seoul earlier this year.

The move represents another overseas step in the 33-year-old's career after a spell in South Korea that followed an injury-affected period with Nottingham Forest. Lingard joined Forest in 2022 but made just 17 Premier League appearances and failed to score during his time at the club.

Before that stint, he had enjoyed a prolific loan spell with West Ham United in 2021, scoring nine goals and providing five assists in 16 matches. Those performances briefly brought him back into contention for the England squad, although he ultimately missed out on a place at UEFA Euro 2020.

Lingard later revealed that he had hoped to return permanently to West Ham after leaving Manchester United, but circumstances at the time led him to accept Forest's offer instead.

A product of United's academy, Lingard made 232 appearances for the club and won the FA Cup, EFL Cup and UEFA Europa League during his time at Old Trafford. He also earned 32 caps for England and was part of the squad that reached the semi-finals of the 2018 FIFA World Cup.

At Corinthians, Lingard will reunite with former United teammate Memphis Depay, who has been with the Brazilian side for the past two years. The club are currently managed by former Brazil coach Dorival Junior.

Lingard said he was immediately struck by the passion of Corinthians supporters when he arrived in Brazil.

"First, I saw the fans at the airport chanting â˜Go Corinthians! Go Corinthians!' There is so much passion from the supporters, which is wonderful to see," he said.

"The players welcomed me with open arms, the coach and the director as well. My first impressions are very positive - I'm very happy and I can't wait to play."

Lingard also becomes only the second British-born player to represent Corinthians after Colin Kazim-Richards.

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