Jesse Lingard Returns to England Amidst Brazilian Adventure
Jesse Lingard’s winding career path has brought him back to England once again, this time from Brazil and a turbulent spell with Corinthians.
The former Manchester United midfielder, who left Old Trafford in 2022 after more than 200 appearances for his boyhood club, has been granted permission to fly home to deal with family matters. Corinthians confirmed the decision in a statement on their official X account, adding a fresh layer of uncertainty to a move that had already raised eyebrows across two continents.
“The attacker Jesse Lingard was authorized by the football board and by coach Fernando Diniz to travel to England, this Thursday (05/28), to attend to family matters,” the club announced. They also confirmed he will miss the Brazilian Championship clash with Grêmio on Saturday (05/30).
For a player whose career has rarely followed a straight line, this is another sharp turn.
From the high of his extra-time winner in the 2016 FA Cup final at Wembley against Crystal Palace, Lingard’s journey has taken him from Manchester United to Nottingham Forest, then out of Europe entirely with a move to FC Seoul in South Korea. Two years in Asia were followed by a surprise switch to Brazil and Corinthians, a club steeped in history and expectation.
Once in São Paulo, Lingard did not just arrive; he made history.
Earlier this year he became the first Englishman ever to score for a Brazilian club. He then went a step further, becoming the first English player to score in the Copa Libertadores, South America’s answer to the Champions League. For a Carrington academy graduate, raised in the rhythms of the Premier League, carving out a piece of Brazilian and continental history is no small feat.
His raw numbers at Corinthians are modest but notable in context. Lingard has featured in 17 matches, scoring two goals and registering one assist. His most recent outing came in Serie A, a 45-minute cameo in a 3-1 win over Clube Atlético Mineiro, a reminder of the quality that still flickers when he finds the right pockets of space.
The problem for Corinthians is that they are fighting on two very different fronts.
Domestically, the picture is grim. The club sit 15th in the Brazilian league, only two places and three points above the relegation zone. Every match carries weight, every absence is felt. Losing an experienced international attacker, even temporarily, is hardly ideal in that context.
Across the continent, the mood is very different. In the Copa Libertadores, Corinthians are thriving. They top Group E after six matches, a position that underlines their pedigree on the biggest South American stage and offers a sharp contrast to their league struggles. Lingard’s historic goal in the competition has tied his name to that campaign, a symbol of how this unlikely partnership briefly clicked on the nights that mattered.
Now comes the pause.
With Lingard back in England on club-approved leave, Corinthians must juggle the demands of a relegation battle and a continental push without him, at least in the short term. At 33, with medals in England and milestones in South America, Lingard stands at another crossroads.
The question now is simple: when he returns from England, will this Brazilian chapter kick on, or will it prove to be just another vivid stop on one of football’s most unpredictable careers?
