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Home , FA Youth Cup, Gareth Southgate, Goal celebration, Graeme Souness, Jesse Lingard, Paul Gascoigne

WORDS: ALEX CHRISTIAN ootballers PHOTOGRAPHY: ZOE MCCONNELL shouldn’t ever dance.” F “Typical Instagramming footballer: juvenile and ostentatious.” “He likes to show off that he has too much time and money.” “Good footballer. Not a fan of handshake celebrations, to be fair.” “Until you’ve won something, you can’t do stuff like that.” The opinions of five football- fan dads on Jesse Lingard. The final one belongs to , ex-Manchester United legend-turned-pundit. He once ‘murked’ Shaun Wright-Phillips on national television, but not even he could stomach the sight of Lingard – alongside United teammate and frequent dance partner – strutting in the dressing room to Wizkid. And he’d be far from alone. Your ‘proper football bloke’ – your old man; ; most Sun readers – prefer players served straight up: strong sliding tackles, short sleeves all-year- round, sing-songs strictly limited to belting out the national anthem. And what makes He’s the embodiment of the new breed of dancing- and-hashtagging modern footballer the traditionalists don’t get, but Jesse Lingard could win them – and the whole of – around, one dab at a time F OOTBALLER, DANCER, INSTAGRAMMER... WORLD CUP WINNER?

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this proper football bloke foam at the mouth are the trappings of the modern-day footballer: the intricately choreographed celebrations, full designer tracksuits, fully- stocked washbags, overblown headphones and #Blessed selfies. Someone, say, like Jesse Lingard. “People need to realise that footballers have personalities,” declares a beaming Lingard. “Me, I’m bubbly. I’m fun. I don’t understand it when people say, ‘Why are you always dancing?’ What do you mean, ‘Why?’ It’s my character. Who’s someone to say you can’t dance?” On the pitch at least, the 25-year-old has earned plaudits and fans’ begrudging respect. One of a dying breed of Man United academy players to break through at in the post-Fergie era, he’s versatile, industrious and disciplined – a quintessential Jose Mourinho-style attacker. It’s why the United boss consistently picks him ahead of his squad’s star names and mega- million pound signings. That, and because of his raw, uncoachable talent: fleet-footed, fast-twitch movement that lets him skip past defenders with balletic grace. Since Ferdinand’s disapproval, “I DON’T Lingard has also won ‘stuff’: namely the League Cup and UNDERSTAND Europa League, to go alongside IT WHEN his 2016 FA Cup winners’ medal. PEOPLE SAY, His form has made him a staple of ’s England ‘WHY ARE squads, too – including the all- YOU ALWAYS important one set for penalty kick practice in Repino, Russia. He DANCING?’ scored his first international WHAT DO YOU goal – the winner – against the Netherlands in March. You might MEAN, ‘WHY’? remember him doing his patented IT’S MY ‘J Lingz’ celebration: hands side- by-side, index fingers up. Your CHARACTER” dad probably punched the air in delight, then instinctively shook three days. Had they lost, go for weeks without a day off as team a lot more, scoring goals, his head in indignation. But even however, they’d have been a footballer,” he explains. “It’s good assisting, and winning trophies. he’d agree that Lingard has the straight back on the coach to to let your hair down and have It’s the best feeling.” potential to light up the summer. Manchester – such is life as an a couple of celebratory drinks. You Lingard has a healthy habit of elite-level footballer. enjoy the moment and have fun.” scoring goals in big games – two FLOSSING AND Hours later, Lingard was out ShortList cover shoot over, cup finals, plus important winners FLOWING celebrating with his pals. Much Lingard is back in his own clothes: in the league against Arsenal and It’s the morning after United’s 2-1 of the night was documented via nearly £2,000 worth of Gucci, Chelsea. Yet any YouTube highlight victory over Tottenham in the their Instagram stories: think air from his round-spec frames down reel of his will probably consist of FA Cup semi-final at Wembley. horns, dancing waiters and a lot to his monogrammed trackies and more dabbing than scoring. Lingard, bedecked in a Billionaire of champagne bottle sparklers. white, wool-trimmed (yep, really) Never since ’s Euro Boys Club jacket and Agolde If Lingard himself had a drop of sneakers. He’s broad-shouldered, ’96 dentist chair celebration has a jeans, is energetically throwing booze, it’s not showing. Fresh- yet surprisingly slight for a Premier footballer’s post-goal movements shapes to Drake, Big Sean and faced and all smiles, he gulps League footballer. Friendly and generated as many tabloid column Mist tunes pumping out from the some neat Disaronno during the engaging, he speaks in a soft, inches. This season, Lingard Kentish Town studio. The United shoot, passed to him by one of barely-there murmur. “This season forced himself into the United first team stayed in his six-strong entourage – only to has been good,” he mumbles into starting 11 after scoring a stunning, following their win and don’t have immediately cringe and hand the his pristine polo shirt. “My career slaloming, 40-yard solo strike

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he celebrate? By posing the pitch.” Try fist-bumping your as a 16 year old – we’re the same Sterling flits between Manchester like Hercules and doing the dad the next time England score age. We stayed in contact while “AS LONG AS City and DSquared2 tracksuits, dance from Mink Flow by Future if you don’t believe him. he was at Juventus. When he YOU GIVE THE Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain and Young Thug. scored there, he dabbed. When rides horses into the sea and He isn’t alone in taking the GENERATION I scored against Newcastle [in PASSION AND professional hypebeast Héctor latest dance craze from ’Gram #BLESSED 2016], I dabbed. As soon as he FIGHT THAT THEY Bellerín poses for pics with feeds to the pitch. The day before If you strain your ears and listen came back, we had to get our Giorgio Armani. A snap of Pogba Lingard and I meet, closely, Lingard may sound Manc, dabbing on for the United fans.” WANT TO SEE ON reclining in a Miami infinity pool marked his opener for Spurs by but he’s actually from Warrington The dabbing and dance moves THE PITCH, THEN went viral after one journalist doing the floss – a move invented – halfway between Liverpool and join traditional footballing facets THEY CAN’T SAY labelled it as “Trolling the world”. by 16-year-old Insta-star The Manchester. At primary school, he like and step-overs to But Lingard, whose Instagram Backpack Kid. “Yeah, I seen that,” played for both the Reds and the form Lingard’s personal brand ANYTHING ABOUT bio simply reads, “Be yourself,” grins Lingard. “I haven’t done that Red Devils – eventually shunning – something he’s christened YOU OFF IT” thinks the surreal holiday snaps one yet. We actually spoke about to sign for United’s “JLingz”. A scroll down his Insta and dreamy, pseudo-philosophy it at half-time, he came running academy, aged seven. Although feed reveals the hashtag again posts are justified – not so much over asking, ‘Was it good? Was it his diminutive size meant he and again. Hours before he boastful as #blessed. “Insta and good?’ I was like, ‘It was alright.’” was held back in the age groups, arrived at this sun-baked corner Snapchat are the modern ways Many fans balk at the sight he persevered, going on to lift of north London, Lingard posted of communicating,” he says in of a footballer celebrating with the 2011 FA Youth Cup. Again, he a pic of him overlooking the between sips of lemonade. “It’s our anything more intricate than scored in the final. His teammates City from the ninth floor of The way of getting ourselves out there a simple -style finger that day? Future England Shard’s Shangri-La Hotel, like an to the public. Every celebration in the air. Lingard doesn’t see the international Michael Keane and athleisure-wearing Bruce Wayne. I do, there’s a kid doing it on problem. “That stuff is just part of the one-time most expensive It was captioned: “Vision And Instagram the next day. They like modern day football. When we footballer in the world: Pogba. A Plan #JLingz.” He’s one of the to see that you’re having fun. score, whatever latest dance craze “I’ve been good friends with current crop of young, cool, elite There was a video I uploaded with has this come from?’ I feel like a is happening, we’re going to do Paul for years,” explains Lingard, footballers who use social media England – all the kids danced to it. normal person. That’s how I should that and have fun. You see it on leaning in. “We’ve always got on. to convey worldliness and That makes you happy as a player.” be treated. Footballers are only Insta, everyone’s doing it, you start People forget he came to United greatness. On Instagram, Raheem Should the curmudgeons be human. We’re normal people.” messing around in the dressing kinder to extrovert personalities room, you score, you do it. The like Lingard, then? “As long as you FREE IN RUSSIA NFL started off the dance moves, give the passion and fight that Dabbing and Insta aside, the integrating sport and music. Odell they want to see on the pitch, biggest topic in football right now Beckham Jr always dances after then they can’t say anything is the World Cup. Lingard can scoring a touchdown. Footballers about you off it,” he responds. recall his first. Just about. He was are catching up to them.” But is it really them posting nine years old. “I just remember Across the pond, the greatest on their Twitter and Instagram that ball [the Adidas Fevernova]. American athletes transcend their timelines? Or are they merely That ball was sick,” he exclaims. “It sports. Floyd Mayweather is a club-sanctioned versions of was when scored that regular on Forbes’ rich lists, NBA themselves? The boa constrictor goal against England. Was that star James Harden is as likely to of media training forever lurks, 2002? With that team, I thought appear on the cover of GQ as he is coiling up around footballers, we were going all the way.” ESPN, while LeBron James tweets squeezing out their personalities In less than a year, Lingard – Kendrick Lamar to release new until they become akin to club alongside the likes of Ruben Loftus- music – and King Kendrick does. spokesmen. Lingard – at times – Cheek, and Jordan Do we give our footballers too falls prey. Who are your best pals Pickford – has gone from an hard a time for simply wearing for England? “I think everyone.” outside bet for the plane to Russia, luxe threads and dancing in What’s Mourinho really like? “Like to probable and deserving starter. a 10-second ? one of us.” What are you looking When talking about the current “Yeah, I think we get slated forward to in Russia? “Everything, England set-up, he describes it as more,” Lingard says. “When we lost really.” What stands him apart “more free”. In a fresh, youthful and against Sevilla in the Champions from most elite players though, – dare we say it – exciting side, he League, it was Paul Pogba’s is that you can ask him about could become a breakout star. birthday the next day. We had a matters off the field. For instance, Not that he’s thinking about it little dance, vibing in the changing he explains that some of his posts too much, yet. “Sometimes I don’t room, we got stick. When you win, do come under club scrutiny. even know what the next game is,” you go Instagram, ‘Bam,’ fine. “When to post something is he jokes, moving animatedly in his When you lose, you’re supposed important,” he says, melting into seat. “It’s a good group, winnable to shy away and keep yourself to his chair. “You’re not going to do games. I think we can progress yourself. Odell and LeBron aren’t it during a game or anything like far, even to the final. We’ve got like that. They express themselves that. We’re not allowed to do the confidence. And with the after a loss. Americans are just anything two days before a match, team that we’ve got, why not?” more into it all. You see them and any commercial-type activities.” And if he were to score at the it’s always good vibes.” He was recently entrusted with World Cup, what dance would he And what if OBJ were a Premier United’s Insta account for a day, do? Lingard laughs. “I don’t know, League player? “He’d be dancing filming the goings-on in training. there might be a new craze by every week,” giggles Lingard, “It was good – it’s an insight for then, so I’ll have to do that.” endearingly – it’s the loudest he’s the fans. Otherwise, they’re scared Whatever it ends up being, been all day. “And he’d still be of coming up to us sometimes. not only would you, Ferdinand criticised here. The people who’ve They’re like… [he pulls an and even your dab-hating dad been watching football for years impressive rabbit-in-the-headlights not mind watching it – you’ll

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