Official: Jesse Lingard joins Corinthians as a free agent and will wear the number 77 jersey.

Brazilian Serie A club Corinthians announced on Friday that former FC Seoul striker Jesse Lingard has officially joined the club as a free agent, effective immediately. The two sides signed a nine-month contract, with automatic extension until the end of 2027 if certain goals are achieved.

The official announcement also confirmed that Lingard will wear the number 77 jersey at Corinthians.

The 33-year-old Lingard came through Manchester United's youth academy and has played for Leicester City, Birmingham City, Brighton & Hove Albion, Derby County, West Ham United, Nottingham Forest, and FC Seoul during his professional career. To date, he has made 385 club appearances, scoring 77 goals and providing 45 assists, winning one Europa League, one FA Cup, one EFL Cup, and one Community Shield.

Lingard also made 32 appearances for the Three Lions, helping them reach the semi-finals of the 2018 World Cup. During this time, he contributed 6 goals and 3 assists for the England national team.

Lingard's move to Corinthians marks his return to the pitch after a two-month absence. He left the K-League in January after negotiating a contract termination with FC Seoul.

After completing the signing, Lingard said: "First of all, I saw fans chanting 'Come on Corinthians! Come on Corinthians!' at the airport, you know what? The fans' enthusiasm was touching. Corinthians' training center is simply amazing. The players warmly welcomed me, and the coaches and directors were very friendly. It was great to meet them. My first impression was that I was very happy, and I can't wait to play."

Lingard will become the second English player to play for Corinthians. His predecessor was Colin Kazim-Richards, who won the São Paulo State Championship and the Brazilian Serie A title with the team in 2017, but Richards later chose to become a Turkish citizen.

Image source: Internet/Corinthians official website