Jesse Lingard has told a court he “knew nothing” about the sexual assault allegations made against his grandfather.
He has insisted he would have cut ties immediately if he had.
The former Manchester United star appeared at Liverpool Crown Court as a defence witness for his grandfather Kenneth, who is facing 17 counts of indecent assault.
When questioned, Lingard denied ever having knowledge of the accusations.
It hasn’t been a memorable few years for the Englishman, who also suffered a major business failure in February.
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He made clear he would have distanced himself had he been aware.
“I would have cut ties with him straight away,” Lingard told the court, as reported by the BBC.
“My daughter wouldn’t be round there.
“My little sister wouldn’t be round there.”
Lingard was also asked directly if he would lie to protect his grandfather, responding: “No, never.
“If I knew any of these allegations I’d have cut ties with him years ago.”
Jesse Lingard grandfather at centre of abuse case
Kenneth Lingard, 86, denies the allegations, which centre around historical offences against a woman dating back to when she was just five years old.
The claims first came to light after the airing of Untold: The Jesse Lingard Story in 2022, where the player spoke openly about his grandfather’s role in his footballing journey.
During his testimony, Lingard recalled the support his grandfather gave him throughout his career.
It included time spent living with him from the age of two.
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“He basically taught me football, taught all the skills, drove me up and down motorways from Liverpool to Manchester, Crewe, Barnsley, Stoke, to watch me play football,” Lingard told the court as per BBC’s report.
“He’s been the man that’s got me here today.”
Lingard, who currently plays for FC Seoul in South Korea, flew back for his court appearance after scoring in a K-League 1 match on Saturday.
The trial is ongoing and is expected to last several weeks.
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