Jesse Lingard of FC Seoul (C) dribbles the ball against Gimcheon Sangmu FC during a K League 1 match at Seoul World Cup Stadium in Seoul, in this file photo from March 3, 2025. (Image courtesy of Yonhap)
SEOUL, April 23 (Korea Bizwire) — FC Seoul said Wednesday their captain Jesse Lingard is back home in England this week to testify in his grandfather’s sexual assault trial.
The K League 1 club said Lingard had left South Korea on Sunday, a day after their 2-1 loss to Gwangju FC, and is scheduled to be back before FC Seoul’s next match, against Pohang Steelers at 2 p.m. Sunday.
Lingard’s grandfather, Kenneth, has been accused of 17 counts of indecent assault against a woman, who has claimed that he abused her from the age of 5.
Jesse Lingard appeared at Liverpool Crown Court as a defense witness Tuesday, according to reports out of England.
BBC quoted the football player as telling the court that he had not known anything about his grandfather’s allegations.
Asked if he would lie on behalf of his grandfather, Lingard said, “No, never. If I knew any of these allegations, I’d have cut ties with him years ago.”
“My daughter wouldn’t be round there. My little sister wouldn’t be round there,” Lingard also said.
The football player said he was approached by the woman alleging his grandfather of sexual assault after a 2022 documentary on his playing career, “Untold: The Jesse Lingard Story,” came out. In the documentary, the midfielder spoke about Kenneth’s positive influence on his career.
“She was just going on about the documentary and how I let him be part of it when he’s done those things,” Lingard said. “She popped up out of nowhere, to be honest. It was kind of random.”
Lingard also revealed that the trial had cost him “a few sponsorship deals” in South Korea.
“I’ve had to hold off on some more sponsorship deals in Korea at the moment,” he added.
(Yonhap)
