Jesse Lingard was one of the stars of the season last year for his contributions to West Ham's push for European football, producing nine goals and four assists. Now back at his boyhood club Manchester United, Jesse has also jumped into the gaming industry, something he says he's loved from a young age, by acquiring a Rainbow Six Siege esports team.
Audacity esports is a Rainbow Six Siege team currently competing in the UK and Ireland Nationals, who have recently been playing under the temporary name 'Team JLE'. However, the team will now be rebranded to 'JLINGZ esports', with Jesse being involved behind the scenes.
We were lucky enough to chat to the England international footballer about his love of gaming, his goals for the future of JLINGZ esports and which of his teammates are the best at games. (You can watch this in video form below.)
GAMINGbible: So tell me a little about your dive into the world of esports...
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Jesse: I've obviously been a big fan of esports over the years and I know it's in a great space at the moment and I've decided to own a team. It's going to be called JLINGZ esports and I'm excited to be the owner. I'm looking forward to starting in the league and preparing my team to compete against the best.
GAMINGbible: I believe it's a Rainbow Six Siege team, is that right?
Jesse: Yes it is, I'm kind of new to the game.
GAMINGbible: I was going to ask why Rainbow Six Siege, why not another game like Call of Duty or Rocket League?
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Jesse: Rainbow Six Siege is a competitive game, it's very tactical with defence and attack and you've got to work together as a team. There are similarities with football as well, you've got to work hard to get the victories and stay together as a team.
GAMINGbible: I was going to say, do you think some of the things required for traditional sports are needed in esports? Like hard work, good decision making and teamwork etc.
Jesse: Yeah, I think to be the best you have to practise and work hard. Nothing comes easy so with talent and hard work, you're going to get to places. I believe in my team. They're a hard-working team and strong so I can't wait to see what the future holds.
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GAMINGbible: I'm a football fan myself and you had an amazing end of the season last year but I think I saw something online showing you had a plan for your success with goals you wanted to achieve. How do you think that helped you reach your goals and do you have a similar thing for your esports team?
Jesse: Yes I think it helped massively. I think to write things down and to be able to see them on a daily basis can reiterate things in your mind and I think it's going to be similar with my team. We'll set goals and targets, without looking too far into the future. We'll take every game as it comes and I think to set realistic targets throughout the season always helps. Looking at my goals on a day-to-day basis definitely helped me last season.
GAMINGbible: Do you think you're going to be like Sir Alex Ferguson shouting at half-time, giving your team the 'hairdryer' treatment or are you going to be a calmer manager?
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Jesse: To be fair I'm quite competitive and I don't like to lose but I'm more calm and I know the team wants to win and they know what they're doing. As long as they're concentrating and trying their best, I'm calm.
GAMINGbible: You're kind of like a pioneer in the industry in terms of a football player moving into the gaming space. Do you see any other footballers moving across or are you going to try and persuade them?
Jesse: Yes I spoke to a few of my teammates and a few are interested. Some are involved already such as Gareth Bale and Dele Alli. If you're into gaming it's a great opportunity. I've played games since I was young so I know a little bit about the gaming industry and like I say I think it's just a perfect opportunity for me to get involved.
GAMINGbible: Speaking of your teammates, who plays the most games? Who's the best at games? Who would make your roster?
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Jesse: To be fair quite a few of us play but one of the best I've seen is probably Luke Shaw. I don't think he plays that much either he's just good at every game he plays.
GAMINGbible: I bet Mason Greenwood plays Fortnite still doesn't he?
Jesse: Haha probably yeah.
GAMINGbible: A lot of esports tournaments are huge in Asia and sell out massive stadiums, do you see that happening in the UK, possibly even at Old Trafford in the future?
Jesse: Yes I think that's the way it's going at the moment definitely. I think there are about 450 million people who watch so why not? I think it's only going to continue to grow and it's a great opportunity for me to get involved and see where it goes in the future. But I think it's going to be massive, yeah, 100%.
In the official Ubisoft press release, Jesse also added "My JLINGZ brand has been growing for a number of years but to finally dive into esports and add my own teams to JLINGZ is incredible. Esports has everything for me, it's fast-paced and competitive, the community is amazing and it's been great to have Ubisoft's support on this journey too. Watch this space, JLINGZ esports is going all the way."
Featured Image Credit: UbisoftTopics: Esports, Rainbow Six Siege, Interview