JESSE LINGARD is one of the most popular footballers in the world.
A master of appealing to a young audience, he has cultivated an image of himself as a trendsetter, dividing opinion amongst former pros who aren’t at ease with his brand.
Jesse Lingard has become one the most popular figures in football
His JLingz moniker has earned the Manchester United midfielder a staggering 6.6m followers on Instagram.
And now he has become a fashion designer, revealing his own clothing label selling men’s and women’s streetwear and contemporary designs that he hopes will appeal to the masses.
Lingard, 27, is even peddling his own scent, as well as mobile phone cases featuring a graphic of his trademark goal celebration.
It’s a statement of intent from the Three Lions star, who is clearly ready to rival the likes of David Beckham and Cristiano Ronaldo in the style stakes with his range.
Paul Pogba, Luke Shaw, Marcus Rashford attend Jesse Lingard’s Jlingz clothing launch party
He’s become a style icon to millions of fans
And now he has his own fashion labelCredit: BackGrid
The JLingz collection features clothing for both men and women
Most of the clothing features the hand symbol of his trademark celebration
Taking a closer look at the JLingz label, you’ll find hoodies starting at a modest £45, quilted jackets costing £70 and T-shirts priced at around £30.
There’s the ‘Be Yourself’ and the JLingz collections, and they include various accessories like trucker hats, beanie hats and socks.
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It’s an extensive lookbook that may appeal to fashionistas who aren’t United or Lingard fans, but not everything footballers endorse strikes gold.
Last August, former Red Devil Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s A-Z clothing line closed down after just two years in business reporting a staggering £18m loss.
Lingard is working on becoming a brand to rival Cristiano Ronaldo and David Beckham
He sells iPhone cases
There’s also a £45 aftershave
Hoodies start at a modest £45
While the LA Galaxy sold underwear, Lingard is backing streetwear and following a trend similar to non-league football star Marvin Morgan’s Fresh Ego Kid that’s seemingly on point at the moment.
But not everyone is impressed by Lingard’s off-the-pitch activities.
Manchester United legends Gary Nevillle, Roy Keane and Paul Ince all recently voiced their opinion on brand Lingard.
“I like Jesse Lingard and I have no problem with him launching a clothes range. But before Liverpool away in the biggest match of the season? Don’t do it this week. Do it before Fulham,” Neville said on Sky Sports.
T-shirts are a reasonable £30
And there’s socks too priced at £10
Jlingz is now a fully fledged brand with a stylised ads
But not everyone is happy with Lingard’s off the pitch activities
While Keane countered: “People say you should have other things going on outside of football – I don’t think you should.
“Football should be your number one priority. Focus on the game. Don’t hide behind your cars, your tattoos or your agents. Play the game. You can do all that stuff when you retire.”
It was the ‘Guvnor’ who was the most critical.
“There are plenty of things you can do outside of football, like taking coaching badges, doing a degree, learning a language,” Ince wrote in a column for Paddy Power.
Some Manchester United legends have spoken out about Lingard’s fashion label
Gary Neville questioned the time of the launch, the week before a crunch game against Liverpool
While Roy Keane said Lingard’s number one priority should be football
Only Lingard can silence his critics by performing on the pitch
“You don’t need to make your own clothing brand as though you are one of the best stars in the world. He needs to remember who he is.
“He’s come a long way since he couldn’t get in the Derby side (where he was on loan in the 2014-15 season). Besides, the way he plays, who would want to wear his clothing range anyway?”
While the jury’s out on both Lingard’s clothing range and his football career, perhaps the best thing he can do is concentrate on impressing new boss, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer.
And If he shifts a few hoodies too, well that’ll be a bonus.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
