Jesse Lingard is pictured training with Al-Ettifaq for the first time as he bids for a contract at the Saudi Pro League side – and reunites with his 2018 World Cup team-mate Jordan Henderson
- The former Man United midfielder has previously trained with West Ham
- After a one-year contract with Nottingham Forest, Lingard is now a free agent
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Jesse Lingard has been pictured training with Saudi Pro League side Al-Ettifaq for the first time since the free agent arrived in the Kingdom in a bid to secure a new contract.
The former Manchester United star played for Nottingham Forest last season but failed to make an impact in Steve Cooper’s side, registering just 17 league appearances during their 2022-23 campaign.
After opting not to extend his one-year contract over the summer, the 30-year-old has been without a club, but has been training with West Ham since the start of August.
David Moyes’ side ultimately chose not to re-sign the England international after a blistering half-season in 2021, prompting his move to Saudi at the start of this week.
Al-Ettifaq first shared a video of Lingard walking out onto the pitch during a night session overseen by head coach and ex-Liverpool icon Steven Gerrard, captioning the clip: ‘Enjoy Ettifaq’s Wednesday night session featuring a new face’.
Jesse Lingard looked delighted to be taking part in his first training session with Al-Ettifaq
The former Manchester United starlet will bid for a contract to play with Jordan Henderson
The free agent travelled to Dubai at the start of the week after finishing training with West Ham
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In the video, Lingard is seen beaming as he begins to take part in the training, and the club later shared a picture of the player looking similarly delighted.
‘First sighting of Lingard in Ettifaq training. Green fits him well eh?’ the caption read.
Lingard will have limited time to prove his worth to Gerrard in a bid to earn himself a contract at the Saudi club, who currently sit fourth in the league after eight matchdays.
But should he be offered to stay long-term in Damman, the move would see him reunited with a former team-mate.
Former Liverpool midfielder Jordan Henderson played alongside Lingard during England’s 2018 World Cup campaign in the country’s first major tournament under Gareth Southgate.
Whilst Henderson remains a fixture in Southgate’s set-up, Lingard found himself increasingly sidelined after the competition as his form at Man United dipped.
Henderson joined Al-Ettifaq in an eyebrow-raising move in August for a deal that is thought to garner the player £700,000 per week in wages.
Henderson reunited with former team-mate Steven Gerrard, who coaches the Damman side
Al-Ettifaq currently sit fourth in the Saudi Pro League after eight matchdays played this term
But the England star defended his move as not financially motivated, claiming instead that Liverpool had hinted that he was going to have reduced playing time during their 2023-24 campaign.
LGBTQ+ groups accused Henderson of ‘sportswashing’ and pilloried the player for appearing to undermine his earlier vocal support of the LGBTQ+ community, whose rights are severely restricted in the Kingdom.
But in an interview fanned the flames of the controversy, Henderson was adamant that his move would increase visibility on the issues for the better.
‘My intention has always been to help causes and communities where I felt like they have asked for my help,’ Henderson said. ‘I think people know what my views and values were before I left and still do now. And I think having someone with those views and values in Saudi Arabia is only a positive thing.’
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