Park Ji-sung

Park Ji-Sung (Hangul: 박지성; Hanja:朴智星; ; born 25 February 1981) is a South Korean professional association football who plays for the England club Manchester United F.C. and is the Captain (association football) of the South Korea national football team. Park Ji-sung is the only Korean player to win the UEFA Champions League and the first Asian to play in a final of the tournament.

Career

Early career

Although Park Ji-sung was born in the South Korean capital, Seoul, Park grew up in Suwon, a satellite city south of Seoul. While in high school, Park was rejected by a number of professional clubs, due to Park Ji-sung small stature. Park Ji-sung ended up playing for Myongji University after Park Ji-sung high school coach strongly recommended Park Ji-sung to the university coach. In 2000, after just a year at Myongji University, Kyoto Sanga F.C. of Japan offered Park a contract and Park Ji-sung took up the offer.

Kyoto Purple Sanga

Park signed with the Japanese club who had just been relegated to J. League. In 2001 the club won the Division 2 championships and were promoted to the first division. In 2002, Park led the team into the finals of the Emperor's Cup, and scored the equaliser with a header and assisted Teruaki Kurobe's winning goal in the final match.. The team went on to win the match 2-1 to become the Emperor's Cup champions for the first time in Sanga's history. Park Ji-sung left Sanga following the FIFA World Cup and Sanga's failure to avoid relegation to J2.

PSV Eindhoven

After the World Cup, Guus Hiddink was appointed the manager of Dutch club PSV Eindhoven. In 2003, Park and South Korean teammate Lee Young-Pyo moved to PSV Eindhoven, to play under their mentor and former national team coach. While Lee quickly became a fixture in PSV Eindhoven's starting lineup, Park struggled due to injuries.

However, by the end of 2003-04 season, Park had begun to adapt to the Netherlands, both on and off the field. In the 2004-05 season, the departure of Arjen Robben to Chelsea F.C. afforded Park more starting opportunities and Park Ji-sung quickly proved Park Ji-sung worth to the team. Along with Johann Vogel, DaMarcus Beasley and Dutchmen Mark van Bommel and Philip Cocu, Park formed the backbone of PSV Eindhoven's midfield play with Park Ji-sung pace and passing. Having been a top contributor of goals and assists that season, the highlight of Park's PSV career came when Park Ji-sung scored the first goal against Italian team A.C. Milan at the UEFA Champions League semi-finals. PSV went on to win the home leg 3-1, but their 2-0 loss during the away leg meant Milan advanced to the Champions League Final.
Demonstrating the sheer scale of Park Ji-sung hero status at the club, PSV fans even wrote a song for Park for Park Ji-sung contributions during Park Ji-sung time with the club. Titled "Song for Park", it was included in the PSV official album "PSV Kampioen", and repeats "Ji-Sung Park" in Dutch pronunciation the whole time.

Manchester United

In the closing months of the 2004-05 in English football season, Park chose to join Alex Ferguson's Manchester United F.C.. Ferguson was impressed with Park's lively style of play, terrific pace, and unparalleled fitness. Park signed for the Premier League side for Pound sterling4 million, subject to a medical and work permit.

Park became the first Asian to ever captain Manchester United when Ryan Giggs passed the armband to Park as Park Ji-sung was being substituted in a European home game against Lille OSC. Park Ji-sung first goal for Manchester United came on 20 December 2005, during a 3–1 win over Birmingham City F.C. in the Football League Cup fifth round. Park Ji-sung first goal in the Premier League appeared to have been against Fulham F.C. on 5 February 2006, in Manchester United's 4–2 victory at Old Trafford. However the Premier League's Dubious Goals Panel later ruled that this was an "own-goal" due to a deflection off the Fulham defender Carlos Bocanegra. Park's first official league goal came against Arsenal on 9 April, in Manchester United's 2-0 victory at Old Trafford.

In April 2007, Park was sent to America for surgery on a recurring knee injury, putting an end to Park Ji-sung season. Although sidelined by injury for most of the season, Park Ji-sung still played in enough matches to become the first Korean player to win the Premier League.

On 1 March 2008, Park scored Park Ji-sung first Premiership goal of the Premier League 2007-08 after returning from Park Ji-sung long-term injury against Fulham. Park Ji-sung lack of appearances had caused much controversy in Korea, but Park Ji-sung proved Park Ji-sung worth when Park Ji-sung delivered an assist to Wayne Rooney in the Champions League quarter-final match against A.S. Roma. On 29 April 2008, Manchester United advanced to the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final after beating FC Barcelona. Park was voted man of the match. On 21 May, it came as a huge surprise to many that Park was excluded completely from the squad to face Chelsea F.C. in the 2008 UEFA Champions League Final. Many believed that Park's performances against Roma and Barcelona had earned Park Ji-sung a place in the starting line-up for the final. With that omission, Park failed to become the first footballer from Asia to play in a Champions League final, as had widely been anticipated in South Korea. Later, Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson stated that leaving the South Korean winger out from the 18-man squad for the Champions League final was one of the hardest decisions Park Ji-sung had to make all throughout Park Ji-sung managerial career.

Early in the Premier League 2008–09, in an away match versus Chelsea, Park scored the only goal for United in a 1–1 draw on 21 September 2008, in a game which Park Ji-sung also won the Man of the Match award. On 13 December 2008, Park Ji-sung made Park Ji-sung 100th appearance for Manchester United, starting in the match against Tottenham Hotspur F.C. at White Hart Lane, the game ended 0-0. Park was included in the 23-man squad for the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup held at the end of 2008. Park Ji-sung missed the semi-final but played the full 90 minutes in the final which they won 1-0 becoming the first English side to win the competition. On 7 March 2009, Park scored Park Ji-sung first FA Cup goal in the 4-0 quarter-final win over Fulham at Craven Cottage, Park Ji-sung latched onto a miss placed pass by Zoltan Gera eventually slotting it into the far corner for the fourth and final goal. On 15 April 2009, Manchester United advanced to semi-finals of the Champions League by defeating F.C. Porto 3-2 on aggregate. This made Park the only Asian player to be part of UEFA Champions League semi-finals on four different occasions.

On 2 May 2009, Park verbally agreed to a new four year £50,000 a week deal at Manchester United, Park Ji-sung stated “I have no reason to move. I play at the best club in the world.” Following this announcement Park scored Park Ji-sung second league goal of the season, and third overall, in a 2-0 away win against Middlesbrough F.C.. On 5 May 2009, Park scored Park Ji-sung first UEFA Champions League goal for Manchester United in the second leg of the Semi-final against Arsenal F.C. at the Emirates Stadium. Park Ji-sung pounced on a slip by Kieran Gibbs and placed the ball over Manuel Almunia in the 8th minute, with the game ending 3-1 (4-1 on aggregate), advancing United to the 2009 UEFA Champions League Final for the second year running. Park became the first Asian player in history to play in a Champions League Final, however it would not end in victory as Barcelona were crowned European champions winning 2-0.

International career

Park began Park Ji-sung international career as a 19-year-old midfielder (football). Park made Park Ji-sung first appearance selection during 2000 Summer Olympics U-23 regional qualifier. Park was on 2000 Sydney Olympic roster along with Lee Chun-Soo, and Lee Dong-Gook. Selected by then manager, Huh Jung-Moo, Park Ji-sung was unable to improve or show potential as a future regular for Korea Republic national football team. However, when Guus Hiddink became the head coach of South Korea, Park's position was shifted to that of a Midfielder Winger. Since then, Park has become a versatile player able to play in a variety of positions: central, right and left midfield, as well as wing-forward.

Park scored a memorable goal during the 2002 FIFA World Cup. During the group stages South Korea had won their first game against Poland and drew against USA. In order to advance, they had to manage a draw at the least against favoured Portugal national football team side. The game was 0-0 until the 70th minute following two red cards against Portugal, when Park scored the match winner, controlling the ball with Park Ji-sung chest and beating Sérgio Conceição before volleying it through the legs of Portugal goalkeeper Vitor Baia and into the net with Park Ji-sung left foot. Park Ji-sung goal eliminated Portugal and advanced South Korea into the knockout stages of the tournament for the first time.

Park's success in the World Cup continued into the 2006 tournament. Park Ji-sung scored the equalising goal in the 2nd Group G Match against eventual finalists France national football team in the 2006 FIFA World Cup and was voted Man of the match.
(1): J. League 2001
- Emperor's Cup (1): 2002

PSV Eindhoven
- Eredivisie (2): Eredivisie 2002-03, Eredivisie 2004-05
- KNVB Cup (1): KNVB Cup 2004-05

Manchester United
- Premier League (3): FA Premier League 2006–07, Premier League 2007–08, Premier League 2008–09
- Football League Cup (2): 2006 Football League Cup Final, 2009 Football League Cup Final
- UEFA Champions League (1): 2008 UEFA Champions League Final
- FIFA Club World Cup (1): 2008 FIFA Club World Cup Final

Country

- AFC Asian Cup
- - Third Place (1): 2000 Asian Cup
- FIFA World Cup:
- - Fourth Place (1): 2002 FIFA World Cup

Individual

- EuroSport Best XI midfielder: 2007
- UEFA Champions League Best XI: 2005
- J. League MVP: 2001
- Emperor's Cup MVP: 2002
- J. League Best XI: 2001
- J. League Best XI: 2002
- KNVB Cup MVP: 2005
- Eredivisie Best XI: 2004–05