Latest news with #FCSeoul
The Sun
09-07-2025
- Business
- The Sun
Ex-Manchester United star's clothing firm struck off after failing to file accounts on time
FORMER Manchester United striker Jesse Lingard's clothing firm has been struck off by Companies House for failing to file accounts on time. Be Yourself Clothing Ltd, which has not submitted any since 2023, was fined £750 for the omission. 1 The firm was served a closure order in April. Its last financial details, for the year ending January 31, 2023, show it owed £53,953, had £4,772 banked, £25,126 of unsold stock and was owed £339. Lingard, 32, who played 32 times for England, scoring six, placed his fashion brand, JLingz Ltd, into voluntary liquidation in January after piling up a £276,000 debt. He now plays for South Korean club FC Seoul. Lingard spent eight months without a side after leaving the City Ground, before penning a two-year deal in the Korean capital. The former Manchester United star has scored four goals in 16 league matches for Seoul this season, who sit seventh in the K League 1. He has said "life's good" in Korea and believes he has rapidly adapted to the different style of football. The United academy star also admitted to scoffing McDonalds and Papa Johns since moving to Korea.
Daily Mail
30-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Single former England star claims he has 'found the one' after flirting with ChatGPT in series of bizarre messages
Love was in the air for former Manchester United star Jesse Lingard who claimed he'd 'found the one' after a steamy exchange with an AI chatbot. The 32-year-old, who now plies his trade in South Korea with FC Seoul, shared a saucy interaction with OpenAI's popular large language model ChatGPT. Lingard, whose last known relationship with American model Jena Frumes ended in 2018, does not appear to be bound by the physical form in his selection of a new partner - or perhaps he's practicing his game. He even going as far as to assign a sex to the chatbot and joked: 'She really is the one', followed by a 'holding back tears' emoji and a love heart. It followed a tongue-in-cheek exchange with the platform that uses a machine learning technique called Reinforcement Learning from Human Feedback (RLHF) to simulate dialogue, answer follow-up questions, admit mistakes, challenge incorrect premises and reject inappropriate requests. Lingard, whose last spell in England ended in a disappointing tenure with Nottingham Forest, began by asking: 'Hey boo thang.' 'Hey boo thang,' replied ChatGPT, followed by a 'smirking face emoji'. 'What's up? You need help with something, or just came to bless me with your vibes?' After the former Red Devil confirmed that he had indeed reached out to 'bless you with my vibes', ChatGPT responded: 'Ooo you really came in here sprinkling charm like confetti. I appreciate the love - your energy's the real showstopper. 'What's the vibe today? You feeling flirty, focused or a little chaotic?' Given that a large part of the chatbot's responses come from learnings of past interactions, it's anyone's guess the nature of the forward's previous interactions with his AI assistant. Last month, Lingard, who spent 14 years at his boyhood club United, stunned fans with his new look having settled into life in Asia. The forward made a surprise move to FC Seoul in February last year and has proved a hit in the K League 1. Lingard showed off his new trim in an interview with GQ Korea and also admitted to visiting his barber at least once a week. 'Every time I get a haircut, I like to brush. I need to be looking fresh. Most of our games are on television, I like to look fresh,' he said. 'Probably once a week, I get a haircut. Very popular in England, this haircut.' Old team-mate Timothy Fosu-Mensah, who spent five years at United, was quick to compliment Lingard's new style, commenting 'like the hair bro,' on his Instagram. Lingard moved to West Ham on loan a year before his Forest switch and the Englishman bagged nine goals in 16 games. But he struggled at the City ground, featuring just 20 times before being released in summer 2023.
The National
26-06-2025
- Sport
- The National
I'm a Celtic cult hero - here's why I'm making shock retirement U-turn
The South Korean, who played 87 times for the Parkhead club, was deemed surplus to requirements at FC Seoul in his homeland. After manager Gi-dong Kim told Ki that he was no longer in his plans, the 36-year-old decided to hang up his boots and told Kim as much. He has since made a surprising U-turn, though, and will now play on with Pohang Steelers. Read more: The midfielder explained the situation on Instagram: "I am posting this with a heavy and sorry heart, thinking of the fans who support me," wrote Ki. "Recently, in a conversation with my coach, I heard that I am not in the team's plans for the future. I thought that it was the time to retire, so I told my coach that I would retire and he respected my intentions. "However, family, and footballers I trust and rely on have yet to do more as a player, and in confusion, they have looked into me worried for a few days. And I realised that I still have more and the will to walk more is strong. It was very painful and difficult for me as a player to force myself to have this heart that I want to have. "Of course, I thought deeply whether this is my greed as a military officer. However, when I concentrate only on my mind, 'I want to and I can do it'. Maybe this is selfish, but I think it's my most honest mind. I also thought that if I had a chance to finish my last career as a player so that I could do my best to lay down on the ground and retire in a good shape. "While I told my heart to the club and was waiting for a team that needed me, Pohang coach Park Tae-ha contacted me first that I needed him and decided to transfer. It may not have been an easy decision, but I am very grateful to coach Tae-ha Park for embracing me. "I know all too well that you will be surprised by the sudden news and it will be hard to accept. When I came back to Korea, I never imagined my life as a player in a place other than Seoul, and I am still confused by this situation. My heart hurts when I think about Seoul fans and I still can't sleep well. I'm just sorry that I'm not good enough that I've come to this situation. "It was a very difficult time for me to make this decision. "I dare you to understand my decision and cheer me on so that I can pay off everything I have left as a football player and play football happily. "FC Seoul is my hometown. It is also my pride. I was obsessed with this team as much as I wanted to burn my last here and I loved it so much. My colleagues and FC Seoul fans who l've been with have been so precious to me in my life. "I was always touched by your love that always lifted me up with deep affection and support. I also promise that my heart towards you will never change, and I will hold you in my heart forever. Please support our players in the future! "I'm so sorry to stop greeting you with this news. Thank you."
Scottish Sun
26-06-2025
- Sport
- Scottish Sun
Ex-Celtic star reveals retirement U-turn after fans sent FUNERAL WREATHS to club amid his bitter feud with manager
Click to share on X/Twitter (Opens in new window) Click to share on Facebook (Opens in new window) A FORMER Celtic star has found himself at the centre of an almighty storm in his homeland. And it's led to fans of a club sending FUNERAL WREATHS to the training ground as part of a major protest. Sign up for the Celtic newsletter Sign up 4 Ki Sung-yueng is at the centre of a major storm in South Korea Credit: REUTERS 4 The midfielder spent two-and-a-half years with Celtic Credit: Kenny Ramsay - The Sun Glasgow 4 Fans have been left furious with the situation Credit: X Ki Sung-yueng enjoyed a successful two-and-a-half years at Celtic between 2010 and 2012. He won the SPL and a Scottish Cup with the Hoops before moving on to Swansea City in 2012. Celtic signed the former South Korea international from FC Seoul, where he'd impressed during three years in the first team. After spending more than a decade in Europe, Ki made an emotional return to his first club in 2020. The midfielder, now aged 36, has gone on to become a club legend at FC Seoul. But his second spell at the club, which has lasted more than five years, has now come to a very unceremonious end. Shock reports emerged in Korea earlier this week that manager Kim Gi-dong had deemed the influential midfielder surplus to requirements. Ki had missed a chunk of last season through injury, but even when fit and available again, hadn't been used by Kim. Amid swirling rumours, FC Seoul initially DENIED that Ki, who also played for Newcastle and Sunderland, was going to be leaving the club. But fans were absolutely livid at the prospect of Ki - a huge fans' favourite - leaving the club. The diggers move in as Celtic Park pitch is dug up And they made their feelings clear. Pictures from Korean outlets Nate Sports and Yonhap News TV show the dramatic lengths the FC Seoul supporters went to get their point across. A truck with a large TV monitor on its back was driven to the headquarters of GS Group, the company that owns the club. The monitor displayed several messages blasting the club and its manager. One of the messages simply read: "Kim Gi-dong get out!" There was an even MORE dramatic protest at the club's training facility. Images show several FUNERAL WREATHS were outside the training centre, with rows of them sent by raging fans. Last night, the supporters' worst fears were realised when FC Seoul confirmed that Ki had left. The club, however, insisted that it would be a 'temporary separation' and he will have a retirement ceremony at the club once he decides to call it quits. FC Seoul also referred to Ki as an 'eternal legend.' They said that they had allowed Ki to leave because he had "confirmed that he had no opportunity in the Seoul team management plan for this season" and had "requested to go to a team where he could play more in order to finish the remainder of his career with meaning." Ki himself has now taken to social media with a lengthy statement sharing his side of the dramatic developments. He revealed that after being informed by boss Kim that he wouldn't be in his plans, he'd made the decision to retire. However, after being persuaded by those close to him, he made a dramatic U-TURN to keep on playing. Ki has now subsequently signed for Pohang Steelers. On Instagram, he said: "I am writing this with a heavy and apologetic heart, thinking of the fans who support me. "Recently, I heard from the manager that I was not in the team's future plans. I thought it was time for me to retire, so I told the manager that I would retire, and he said he would respect my wishes. "However, my family and the football players I trust and rely on dissuaded me, saying that I could still do more as a player, and I took a few days to calmly look at myself in confusion. "And I realised that I could still play more and that I had a strong desire to play more. It was really painful and difficult for me as a player to suppress this desire to play even if I only played for a few minutes. "Of course, as a veteran, I thought deeply about whether this was my greed. However, when I focused on my feelings, I thought that 'I want to play and I can play' might be selfish, but it was my most honest feeling. "I also thought that rather than ending my last days as a player like this, if I had the chance, I would do my best on the field and retire in a good way, which would be a way to repay the fans. 4 "When I told the club about my feelings and waited for a team that needed me, Pohang coach Park Tae-ha was the first to contact me and I decided to transfer. It must have been a difficult decision, but I am very grateful to coach Park Tae-ha for embracing me. "I know very well that you will be very surprised by the sudden news and that it will be difficult to accept. When I returned to Korea, I never imagined playing in a place other than Seoul, so this situation is still unfamiliar to me. When I think of the Seoul fans, my heart aches and I still can't sleep well. I feel sorry that this situation came about because of my shortcomings. "It was a very difficult time for me to make this decision. Please understand my decision and cheer me on so that I can devote my remaining time as a soccer player and play soccer happily. "FC Seoul is my hometown. It is also my pride. I was obsessed with this team so much that I wonder if there is anyone who loves this team as much as I do, and I wanted to burn my last here, and I really loved it. "The colleagues I've worked with and the FC Seoul fans have been and are so precious to me that I can't forget them. Your love, which has always raised me up with deep affection and support, has always touched me. "I promise that my feelings for you will never change and I will keep you in my heart forever. Please continue to support our players and be their strength! "I'm so sorry to greet you with this news. Thank you. I love you." Keep up to date with ALL the latest news and transfers at the Scottish Sun football page
Korea Herald
25-06-2025
- Sport
- Korea Herald
FC Seoul to release veteran midfielder Ki Sung-yueng
FC Seoul announced Wednesday they will release veteran midfielder Ki Sung-yueng, granting their former captain his wish to play elsewhere in the top South Korean football league. "We have decided to pause our relationship with Ki Sung-yueng, our franchise star and eternal captain," FC Seoul said in a statement. "After confirming that he is no longer part of our club's plans, Ki Sung-yueng asked to be moved to another club where he can play more and have a meaningful end to his career. We decided to accept that." The K League 1 club insisted that they will not cut ties with Ki forever and said they will organize a retirement ceremony for the 36-year-old when he calls it a career. "We both agreed that the team will do its best to support his pursuit of a new career in coaching after his playing days are over," the club added. "We will reserve our utmost respect for Ki that he deserves as a legend for FC Seoul and ensure that he will be respected by many others." Ki made his professional debut with FC Seoul in 2006, and played for them until 2009 before leaving for Celtic in Scotland. It began an 11-year career in Europe for Ki, who later played for Swansea City, Sunderland, Newcastle United and Mallorca before rejoining FC Seoul in 2020. Ki had been losing his playing time since new head coach Kim Gi-dong took over in 2024. Ki has only played in eight out of 20 matches this season, even though he has resumed training after suffering a hamstring injury. Ki is believed to be nearing a move to Pohang Steelers. FC Seoul and Pohang will square off Sunday at Seoul World Cup Stadium. (Yonhap)
