Lingard has found peace of mind across the other side of the world.
His start in South Korea didn’t go according to plan; meniscus surgery curtailed his progress during his first season.
Slowly but surely, however, Lingard is rediscovering his love for the game.
He says he is as fit and strong as he has ever been.
“I’m running between 10km to 12km every game, my high-speed runs are always high,” Lingard says.
Playing in the heat takes its toll, but the gruelling conditions have forced Lingard to find greater levels of self-discipline.
“I’ve been injury-free the whole season, taking care of my body, recovering better, eating the right foods. Being professional,” Lingard says.
“In England I had my chef and personal trainer with me. Here it is totally different. I’ve got to do it on my own.
“I remember one of the first games in Jeju – I felt like I was blowing after a couple of minutes. So humid.
“The tempo is high out here, the games are intense. At the start, I wasn’t fit, but once I found the rhythm I got used to it.”
The pain of leaving Manchester United is behind Lingard, and the unease of his move to Nottingham Forest has gone.
While many would question his decision to leave European football for South Korea, Lingard is enjoying his football – and enjoying his life.
“At the time I wasn’t playing at United, I became stressed because all I wanted to do was play football – and when you become stressed you become distracted,” Lingard says.
“I’m out here to find peace. Happiness is peace at the end of the day. If you can find that, it doesn’t matter where you are.
“I’m still playing football and I’m enjoying myself. I still have many years of playing football ahead of me – I’m 32 but the stats don’t show that I’m 32.
“I can play for a long time. It has 100% been the right choice. It was a fresh start, to get my happiness back playing football, that was the main thing.
“It’s been an amazing experience. Different cultures, the people are amazing, the city is amazing.
“I feel I’ve come on leaps and bounds mentally. I think the move has improved my outlook on life.”
Seoul will clearly always have a special place in Lingard’s heart. But the future?
Lingard’s contract expires at the end of the current K-League season in November, but FC Seoul have an option to extend his deal by a further 12 months.
“I’ve thought about the future quite a bit,” adds Lingard.
“Not much can happen this season so I just want to concentrate on football. But other possibilities are out there – of course you are going to think about it.
“We are only human. We will see what happens when the [transfer] window opens.”
