Ji Sung Park Biography
Ji-Sung Park (born February 25, 1981 in Seoul) is a football player from South Korea. He rose to fame after scoring the winning goal for South Korea against Portugal during the 2002 World Cup tournament group stages. On June 22, 2005 he signed for English Premiership side Manchester United for £4 million from Dutch side PSV Eindhoven, subject to a medical and work permit. His work permit was initially denied, but was granted on July 5 following an appeal from United.
Park rose to stardom in 2002, scoring goals against England and France during international friendlies in May, preceding the World Cup of 2002. During the World Cup, he scored the winner in South Korea's group match against Portugal. Park began his international career as an 18 year old defensive midfielder. When Guus Hiddink became the head coach of South Korea, Park's position was shifted to that of a winger. Since then, Park has become a versatile player who can play in a variety of positions, ranging from wing-back to central midfield.
Kyoto Purple Sanga
Park's first professional contract was at J-League's Kyoto Purple Sanga in 2000. He was the first Korean footballer ever to go straight to the J-League without going through the K-League. He was arguably the most influential player of the team by 2002 and following the World Cup that year, he left for a European club.
PSV Eindhoven
After the World Cup, Guus Hiddink was appointed the manager of Dutch club, PSV Eindhoven. In 2003, Park moved to PSV Eindhoven, to play under his mentor and former national team coach. Unlike his compatriot Young-Pyo Lee, who quickly became a fixture in PSV Eindhoven's starting lineup, Park struggled due to injuries and misadaptation to the Dutch league and a few poor performances saw him being boo-ed by certain sections of the PSV faithful.
However, by the end of 2003-04 season, Park had begun to adapt to The Netherlands, both on the pitch and off the pitch. In the 2004-05 season, the departure of Arjen Robben to Chelsea afforded Park more first team opportunities at PSV Eindhoven and he quickly proved his worth to the team. Along with fellow Korean Lee Young-Pyo and Dutchmen Mark van Bommel and Jan Vennegoor of Hesselink, Park formed the backbone of PSV Eindhoven's midfield play. His energetic movement created havoc against all opponents at all areas of the field, both offensively and defensively. The highlight of Park's PSV career came as Ji-Sung Park scored the first goal against AC Milan at the Champions League semi-finals.
Manchester United
In the closing months of the 2004-05 season, Park was scouted by Sir Alex Ferguson of Manchester United, who believed that Park's lively style of play and superb fitness could be the foundation his flagging Manchester United side needed. Also, with the aging of Ryan Giggs and the relatively inexperienced Cristiano Ronaldo on the right wing, Park was sought after, in order to keep the ageing Manchester midfield fresh but also provide experience to a mostly young team. In July 2005, Ji-Sung Park signed a four-year contract with Manchester United.
As expected, he impressed during Manchester United's pre-season tour of the Far East, as well as in the first game of the season against Everton with his tireless, pacy roaming of the pitch and pressuring of opponents, such that Ferguson picked him over Ryan Giggs and the popular Cristiano Ronaldo against Aston Villa on 20th August the following week. His lack of composure in front of goal is considered his main weakness as he has, on many occasions, come close to scoring but he has opted to pass the ball to his other team-mates.
Park has been renowned for his good attitude and strong work ethic which have helped him excel for both club and country. He is the first Korean player to play in the Premier League, and is considered the most popular player in Korea. His fitness is known to rival that of a marathon runner, and his former teammates at PSV Eindhoven have jokingly suggested that Park plays with an oxygen tank strapped to his back. For the same reason, United fans have given Park the nickname "Three-Lung Park." His diverse experience, gained from stints in the J. League, the Eredivisie (Dutch League), the FA Premier League and the opportunity to take part in the UEFA Champions League and the World Cup semi-finals, have made this youngster a formidable foe to opponents as well as an amiable contributor to his teammates.
His first goal for Manchester United came on December 20th 2005, during a 3-1 win over Birmingham in the League Cup Quarter Final. His first goal in the Premier League seemed to have been against Fullham on 5th February 2006, in Manchester United's 4-2 victory at Old Trafford. However the Premier League "Dubious Goals Panel" later ruled that this was an "own-goal" due to a deflection off a Fulham defender. Park's first official league goal came against Arsenal on April 9th 2006, in Manchester United's 2-0 victory at Old Trafford.