When Park-Ji Sung arrived at Manchester United like a lot of people I thought it was just another PR/marketing trick by United to attract more fans from the very important Asian market. He was a trailblazer in Asian football.
Talent
The midfielder’s talent really surprised me when he first arrived at Old Trafford. I thought it was strange Sir Alex Ferguson thinking about marketing but Park’s signing was all about his ability with a football not about selling shirts, at least for Sir Alex.
His signing has created a big interest in Manchester United in Asia but it’s not the reason he’s now a regular in the United side. The reason for his regular place in the United is his footballing intelligence.
That footballing intelligence is vital for a player at such a big club as United. He has learnt a lot from the fatherly figure of Sir Alex Ferguson and playing alongside some of the cleverest footballers in the country.
He has listened to advice given to him and taken it in. From all reports he’s a quiet lad, who gets on with his job without complaint or fuss. Although disappointed at being left of Manchester United’s Champions League victory over Chelsea, he didn’t moan like some footballers would he just worked harder in training.
Teams like United need the Park sort of player. The player who can slot in anywhere on the field and do a good job. Fergie could put him in goal and he would probably still have a good game. He brings that sort of reliable and consistency that every top team needs.
Role model
With football a popular sport all over the global players from the likes of South Korea must take heart from Park’s rise to the Premier League. Not many players from his continent have played regular first team football in England’s top flight.
There have been a few notable exceptions the likes of Sun Jihai, Zheng Zhi and Lee-Young Pyo, who experienced some years of success in English football. However since their relative successes there hasn’t exactly been a steady flow of Asia talent into the English game.
That is why Park-Ji Sung is so important to the promising young footballers of his continent. He shows what they can do by working hard and listening to their coaches. I can see Park becoming a coach after his playing career has ended, as he shows such enthusiasm for the game.
World Cup
Park-Ji Sung will captain the South Korean national side at this summer’s World Cup and has already appeared in two World Cup final tournaments. He was a member of the South Korea side that finished fourth on home soil in 2002 and scored a goal in that superb run.
He is a crucial part of his national side and he could prove to be a key player this summer in South Africa. He is their most high profile player because of his high energy performances for Manchester United and this tournament will be his chance to show he can compete with the best players in the world.
Deserved
Maybe after scoring the winner against Liverpool in today’s big clash he will get the credit he richly deserves. He is often underrated and criticised but he always does his best for the United cause. He never gives less than 100 per cent.
He was heavily criticised for his performance in last year’s Champions League final defeat to Barcelona but it was unfair to single him out. The whole team struggled in that game and maybe thanks that goal people will get off his back and give him the credit for helping United to such success over the past five years.
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