The midfielder is now plying his trade in South Korea for FC Seoul but has rubbished claims that he failed to live up to his potential in English football as he scored for United in the finals of both domestic cups and represented England at the 2018 World Cup.

In an interview with the Daily Mail newspaper, Lingard said: "I 100 per cent do not feel failure, I feel achievement. You just gotta look at my story from seven years old, a kid from Warrington making it all the way through. The percentages of that are like 0.2 per cent or something. I got chosen.

"You have to work hard. Go to digs and leave your family at 12 years old and move schools and be in a different environment. And I was the smallest. I was tiny. Sometimes I had to play down a year. So I've been through the mill, from a football point of view.

"I am happy and satisfied because whatever happened was for a reason. Scoring in cup finals, playing for my country, the World Cup, scoring at the World Cup. No one ever takes that away from me."

Lingard is the K-League's most high-profile player and is enjoying life in the South Korean capital where he is worshipped by supporters.

He said: "I love Seoul. It's been really interesting. Loads of places to go, great food. Training hard and always learning. It can get a bit crazy when I go out. Sometimes I wear a mask - like a Covid mask - but it doesn’t tend to work!

"So I do the pictures and try to sign everything because one day I will be retired and nobody will ask me anymore. They love me as a person and they seem to like me as a footballer. It's amazing to see.

"The standard of football is high, very technical. I really enjoy it. I watch the English highlights and there is so much time and space on the ball! Here it’s tight and they really like to run. I get man-marked."