Ji-Sung Park, Manchester United player

Ji-Sung Park is a South Korean midfield player who made 205 appearances for Manchester United between 2005 and 2012.

Park was born in South Korea in 1981. He joined his first senior club on leaving school. Though short in stature, he was strong - and also possessed phenomenal endurance. In 2000 he first played for his national side, and went on to make a telling contribution to their successful 2002 World Cup campaign. Shortly after the World Cup, Park followed South Korea’s manager, Guus Hiddink, to PSV Eindhoven, where his game adapted to a European setting. In the summer of 2005 he signed for Manchester United. Over the following seven seasons, Park was a significant member of the first team squad, but only rarely an automatic choice for the first eleven. He was a dependable player, often selected by Sir Alex Ferguson for a particular role in an important match. Park could play anywhere across the midfield and, with his remarkable level of fitness, would cover huge distances in the course of a game. During his final season at Old Trafford, Park made his two hundredth appearance, captained the side in a Europa League game, and played in the end-of-season ‘title decider’ against Manchester City. In July 2012, he signed a two-year contract at Queens Park Rangers.

In his international career, Park made one hundred appearances for South Korea, captaining his country on many occasions.