Park Ji-Sung

Park Ji-Sung is a former South Korea international footballer who currently features for the Premier League and European giants Manchester United. He plays as a winger or a right-sided midfielder. He is the first Asian to win the UEFA Champions League after he won Europe’s top tier club competition in 2008.

Ji-Sung commenced his professional footballing career at South Korean club Kyoto Purple Sanga in 2000 after facing rejection early on in his career. He made 76 league appearances in three years and then in the summer of 2003 was signed by Dutch giants PSV Eindhoven on the suggestion of Guus Hiddink, who coached Park during the 2002 World Cup for South Korea.

After two impressive seasons, Park was signed by Manchester United for 4 million pounds. Although he didn’t quite cut the grades for the first two seasons and used to come off the bench on most occasions, he came to the fore in the 2007-2008 season and has since become an integral part of the team, winning the Champions League in 2008. He also won the Premier League with the Red Devils in 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011.

Park made his international debut for South Korea in 2001 as a defensive midfielder when he was just 19 years of age. He was one of the best players in the 2002 World Cup when he starred on the right side of the midfield for his nation. He was also prominent at the 2006 Germany World Cup. He made 100 international appearances for South Korea before hanging up his boots in 2011.