Park Ji-Sung Career Stats, Facts & Profile

Wes Brown Stats
Full Name	Park Ji-Sung
Birthplace	Goheung, South Korea
Date of Birth	25/02/1981
Height	175cm (5ft 9ins)
Weight	70kg (154lbs)
Position	Winger
Squad Number	13
Leaugue Club Football
Club		Apps	Goals
Kyoto Purple Sanga (2000-03 -)		85	12
PSV Eindhoven (2003-05 -)		92	17
Manchester Utd (2005 -)		168	22
Total		345	51
International Football
South Korea (2001 -)		98	13

Park Ji-Sung Early Career
The tireless winger was born into modest surroundings of the South Korean district of Goheung. As a teenager he was rejected by many professional clubs becuase he was deemed too small and lightweight to handle the boisterousness nature of the K-League. However he did manage to start his footballing career with the University side of Myongji University, after his high school coach gave the winger a glowing refference. Whilst playing for the University side he was spotted by J-League outfit Kyoto Sanga F.C., who swiftly offered the player a contract.

Just one season after joining the Japanese side the player helped his team win the prestigious Emperors Cup, for the first time in thew club's history. Park Ji-Sung had great game, he scored the equalising goal and set up the winner as Sanga ran out 2-1 winners.

In 2002 - after a great World Cup for the player in whch his South Korean side reached the semi-finals - Guus Hiddink, who had just left as Park's national coach took the player to PSV Eindhoven.

His early days with the Dutch giants were plagued by injury and as result the player failed to make a real impact, only managing to play eight times during the entire 2002-2003 season. The following seson the player gradually adjusted to life in the Netherlands and played and over the following two seasons played 83 times, scoring an impressive 11 goals.

During his final season with PSV, Park Ji-Sung played a starring role in his clubs magnificent UEFA Champions League run to the semi-finals, in which he scored in their 3-1 home win over A.C. Mlan. Unfortunatley for Park and his team mates they got beat 2-0 in the second leg, therefore going out on the dreaded away goals ruling.

Park Ji-Sung Manchester United Career
On 8 July 2005 Park Ji-Sung completed a £4m dream move to Manchester United after impressing Reds boss Alex Ferguson with his high octane displays for the PSV and South Korea.

On 9 August 2005 - a month after signing - Park made his senior debut for the club in the 3-0 home win against Hungarians Debrecen in Third Qualifying round of that seasons UEFA Champions League, and as a result bacame the first South Korean to play for Manchester United.

Just a couple months into his Old Trafford career a supremely proud moment for the player arrived when on 18 October 2005 he became the first non-European to captain Manchester United, doing so in the goaless UEFA Champions League group match against Lille OSC, when he was handed the captain's armband by the substituted Ryan Giggs.

After making a handful of first team appearances Park Ji-Sung scored his first goal for Manchester United in the 20th December League Cup 1/4 final 3-1 victory over Birmingham City. That first season in England Park would go on to make an impressive 45 appearances, scoring twice as United bagged a second place finish in the Premier League.

His first season at United could not have gone better for a player, going on to pass two milestones by scoring his first official Manchester United league goal when The Reds beat title rivals Arsenal 2-0 on 20 April 2006 and also playing 90 minutes in the club's 4-0 victory over Wigan Athletic in the League Cup final of that year.

The following season troubled by injuries and a lack of form the player only managed to play twenty times during the entire season, but did manage to notch an impressive five goals, as Manchester United went on to lift the Premier League trophy.

After a troublesome knee injury kept him ut for most of the previous campaign Park Ji-Sung was sent to see a specialist in America. The treatment would see the player miss the first few months of the 2007-2008 season, but when he returned he seemed to back to his swashbuckling best. That season United were going great in the Champions League and in the semi-finals against Barcelona Alex Ferguson gave the player a starting role in both legs as he needed a player who would harry and chase the Spaniards for 90 minutes. After the first leg at the Nou Camp finished 0-0, Manchester United were quietly confident of reaching their first Champions League final in nearly 10 years.

In the second leg Park was at his industrious best and was arguably the man-of-the-match, as he gave the Spanish giants no time to settle on the ball. In that match he ran an incredible 12km. However, when the final came around in Moscow Alex Ferguson had virtually a full squad to choose from and it was Park who missed out on a place on the bench. The United boss explained - after the game - that it was one of the most heartbreaking decisions he'd had to make during his managerial career.

Manchester United went on to beat Chelsae 6-5 on penalties in the final and Park deservedly picked a winners medal. Despite not playing he qualified for his performances in the previous round.

Park Ji-Sung Honours

Kyoto Purple Sanga
Emperors Cup: 2001

PSV Eindhoven
Dutch League: 2005
Dutch Cup: 2004

Manchester United
FA Premier League: 2007, 2008
League Cup: 2006UEFA Champions League: 2008
FIFA Club World Cup

International
World Cup 4th place: 2002

Park Ji-Sung Personal Honours

UEFA Champions League Best XI: 2005
J. League Division 2 MVP: 2001
Emperor's Cup MVP: 2002
J. League Best XI: 2001
J. League Best XI: 2002
Amstel Cup MVP: 2005
Holland Casino Eredivisie Best XI: 2005
FIFA.com's Best Asian Footballer in Europe: 2007


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