Park Ji-Sung

[Andi Istiabudi]

JI-SUNG PARK: WHY I WAS CHOSEN FOR BIG GAMES

Regarded as one of the most hard-working and dynamic midfielders in Manchester United's recent history, Ji-sung Park has given an intriguing insight into his time at the club in MUTV's latest documentary, Park: Past, Present & Future, which airs for the first time on Thursday at 21:00 GMT.

The versatile wide man was a firm favourite among Reds fans during seven successful years at Old Trafford between 2005 and 2012. He scored 19 goals in 134 appearances and won four Premier League titles, four Community Shields, three League Cups, the Champions League and the Club World Cup.

Park joined Queens Park Rangers before retiring from football in 2014 and, a few months later, returned to the Reds to become one of the club’s six global ambassadors.

In an exclusive interview, the former South Korea captain spoke about his belief that his superior energy levels, in comparison to his midfield counterparts, was the main reason Sir Alex Ferguson preferred him for the big games, and disclosed the secret to his remarkable fitness.

The 36-year-old said: "Maybe one of my strengths was to bring the energy to the team and then defensively I contributed a lot, compared to other players, which is quite essential for the big matches; you know, against big clubs you need to be very cautious with opponents that attack.

"So, with those kind of things, I could give some kind of trust to him [Ferguson] to perform well against big clubs. And then I really enjoyed playing against the big teams as well; the tension, the atmosphere and that kind of got me excited to deal with that.

"But I’m really pleased to have played a lot of big games and that allowed a good performance."

Park often thrived in high-profile occasions and rose to the challenge of coming up against stellar opponents, scoring some crucial goals and making many important contributions.

After he scored during a Man-of-the-Match display against AC Milan in the Champions League in 2010, his midfield rival, Andrea Pirlo, was in awe of his performance and later described him in his autobiography as a nuclear power to South Korea in admiration of his incredible work-rate.

His almost unrivalled endurance and energy earned him the affectionate nickname 'Three-Lungs' Park among supporters. Park feels his tireless work ethic was one of his greatest assets during his playing days and may have made up Ferguson’s mind to sign him from Dutch side PSV Eindhoven.

When asked specifically about his fitness, he said: "That was one of my strengths, compared to other players, and I used it. It maybe came from when I was young; I wanted to prove myself. I just found out what were my strengths compared to other players and then that could be one of my main strengths.

"I just kept trying to improve myself and as a professional football player I needed to use my strengths, and I ended up having strengths that you can’t normally get. So, that could be what led me to join United and that helped me to succeed in my career."

Some of the big fixtures Park excelled in were the fiery battles with Arsenal, with the Gunners proving to be one of his favourite opponents. The former no.13 popped up with three goals against them – scoring a crucial away effort in the Champions League semi-finals in 2009, finishing off a blistering counter-attack in a 3-1 Premier League success in 2010 and netting the sixth goal in the famous 8-2 triumph in 2011.

Park admitted he enjoyed coming up against the north London club and felt their passing approach may have helped to bring the best out of him.

"I don’t know why I performed well against Arsenal but probably we prepared well and it could be their football style as well," he said. "They liked the passing game and then with me, we could take the ball and break down the game.

"That kind of football style could have been suited to me more, so that’s one of the reasons I performed well against Arsenal. It’s quite difficult to explain but I really enjoyed playing against Arsenal and I’m really pleased that we had great results against them during my career."

www.manutd.com

[zudomiriku]

Park Ji-sung: Manchester United boss Sir Alex Ferguson picked me for big games because he trusted me

* Park Ji-sung made over 200 appearances for Man United over seven years
* The former midfielder believes he was trusted by manager Sir Alex Ferguson
* Park believes his energetic performances were important in the big matches

Former Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-sung believes he was a regular under Sir Alex Ferguson because of the trust the manager had in him and his high-energy performances.

The South Korea icon made over 200 appearances for the Red Devils and was often deployed in the club's big matches.

The 26-year-old, speaking to MUTV about the club's latest documentary, Park: Past, Present & Future, believes his high-octane performances saw the manager keep faith with him.

'Maybe one of my strengths was to bring the energy to the team,' he said. 'Defensively I contributed a lot, compared to other players, which is quite essential for the big matches; you know, against big clubs you need to be very cautious with opponents that attack.

'So, with those kind of things, I could give some kind of trust to him [Ferguson] to perform well against big clubs. And then I really enjoyed playing against the big teams as well; the tension, the atmosphere and that kind of got me excited to deal with that.


Park Ji-Sung was an important player for Manchester United during his seven years at the club. Park believes his energetic performances saw manager Sir Alex Ferguson places trust in him

'But I'm really pleased to have played a lot of big games and that allowed a good performance.'

Park left the club for QPR in 2012 after winning the Premier League title four times, three League Cups and the Champions League.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-4343582/Man-Utd-Park-Ji-Sung-Sir-Alex-Ferguson-trusted-me.html

[Andi Istiabudi]

PARK TO PLAY AGAINST BARCELONA LEGENDS

Manchester United fans' favourite Ji-sung Park is the latest famous name to sign up for the Legends matches against Barcelona.

The South Korean star is set to compete at the Nou Camp next Friday, 30 June, before wearing the red shirt again in the home fixture at Old Trafford on Saturday 2 September, with both charity games being shown live on MUTV. Always a stamina-packed performer during his illustrious career at United, Park will provide a huge boost to the team managed by former Reds striker Andy Ritchie.

"I do enjoy the Legends games," Park told ManUtd.com. "It’s good to be wearing the Manchester United shirt again and playing with some legends who I haven’t played with during my career, although I saw them on television when I was young.

"It’ll be really great to play with them and the whole experience is great, like the support from the fans and the dressing-room atmosphere. It’s a different feeling to when I played at Manchester United – it’s more relaxed and more friendly because it’s not an official match or a competitive match. Generally, we can share our experiences and it’s really enjoyable being there."

Park is currently finalising his studies for a master’s degree in Switzerland and has enjoyed playing football with his fellow students after also learning in Leicestershire and Milan.

"I played with my colleagues at the university and it felt like I was back at school again," he said. "It felt different but I enjoyed it. Football is a great way to make friends and become more familiar with our class-mates, it was a fun time.

"I think it’s quite difficult to maintain my fitness levels for the Legends matches because I’m studying in the morning, in the afternoon and spend the whole day in the classroom.

“After the classes, sometimes we play football with my class-mates so maybe, physically, that can help maintain my fitness, although not as much as before. The only thing I can do really, to keep to a certain level, is keep playing and do a bit of training when I have time.”

Barcelona recently announced Brazilian icons Ronaldinho and Rivaldo will form part of their star-studded squad when they host next Friday’s match.

"They are great players," enthused Park. "But it’s a Legends match, so you can expect to see some great players, from two of the most popular clubs in the world, with great players throughout their history. It will be good to play against them.

"It will be good fun and there will be quite high expectations from the crowd to see Ronaldinho and Rivaldo play in the same team, in the Barcelona shirt again. There will be great interest from a worldwide audience."

www.manutd.com

[penk22_]

HOW JI-SUNG PARK JOINED UNITED



On this day in 2005, Ji-sung Park moved from PSV Eindhoven to Manchester United.

It was a high-profile transfer for an Asian footballer and ensured superstardom for the South Korean, whose life would never be the same again.

Although the midfielder would prove to be an astute capture by Sir Alex Ferguson, and is still hugely popular with the club's fans today, some had their doubts when the deal was announced.

At 24, Park still had much to prove and, on the eve of a tour of the Far East, some newspapers unfairly dismissed the signing as a marketing ploy.

Even though the player had helped PSV reach the Champions League semi-finals - and his country had shocked everybody by clinching a last-four spot in the 2002 World Cup - Ji was still asked if he was bought merely to sell shirts and could be compared to David Beckham in this respect.

"Maybe if I were as handsome as Beckham is, I would get mobbed like he does every time I went out,” joked the shy new arrival at his press conference.

PSV certainly rated him highly with president Rob Westerhof insisting: “If United think they can have Park cheaply, they are wrong. We demand the highest price and we’ve every reason to demand a mega-figure.” In the end, £4 milion was reported to be the final fee.

Furthermore, PSV coach Guus Hiddink was dismissive of the Reds’ signing, feeling he should have stayed at least another year in Holland. “Park will be a waste of time at Manchester United,” Hiddink opined. “He will spend most of his time on the bench so it was not a wise decision for him to go. Kleberson is a good example for Park. He went to United and was a failure. Park should have stayed for another year.”

Meanwhile, not all of the press were united in their suspicion as The Observer noted on his arrival: "Park is the real deal. The bionic Korean will be the first Asian to dazzle in the Premiership."

Of course, the South Korean went on to score 27 goals in 205 appearances across seven successful seasons with United, winning the love of the fans and 13 trophies along the way. Not bad for a 'gimmick'!

Park will return to Old Trafford on 2 September for the Legends match against FC Barcelona.

http://www.manutd.com/en/News-And-Features/Features/2017/Jul/story-of-ji-sung-park-signing-for-manchester-united.aspx

[Andi Istiabudi]

Park Ji-sung appointed to advisory panel at football's law-making body



Former Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-sung has been appointed to an advisory panel at football's law-making body, becoming first South Korean to be so named.

The official website of the International Football Association Board on Monday showed Park's name on the Football Advisory Panel, consisting of former players, coaches, representatives from FIFA and confederations across the world.

Park will represent the Asian Football Confederation with Faisal Al Dakheel of Kuwait at the panel, which gives additional expertise and advice when it comes to rule changes in football. Other members include former Dutch national team striker Marco Van Basten, Polish football legend Zbigniew Boniek and former French national team defender Christian Karembeu.

Park, who hung up his boots in 2014, has been looking to build up his post-playing career as a football administrator. The 36-year-old recently completed his study in the FIFA Master Course, a sports management program coordinated by the International Centre for Sports Studies and endorsed by the FIFA. (Yonhap)

www.koreaherald.com

[Andi Istiabudi]

PARK: LEGENDS MATCH IS PERFECT FOR FAMILIES

Old Trafford favourite Ji-sung Park has enthused about the friendly atmosphere which will surround the Manchester United Legends when they face Barcelona on Saturday 2 September.

Next month's charity match at Old Trafford will act as the second leg of the Legends tie, after Bryan Robson’s side came away from Camp Nou with a 3-1 win back in June.

Park played the full 90 minutes in Barcelona and the former South Korea international is looking forward to experiencing the unique atmosphere of the Theatre of the Dreams in the return fixture.

“It will be really great to play again,” Park told ManUtd.com. “It’s all great – the fan support, the dressing-room atmosphere, but it’s a different feeling to when I played at Manchester United. It’s kind of more relaxed and more friendly because it’s not an official match or competition match.

"It is for the Foundation and is more family oriented, relaxed and fun to watch. You can see the players who have retired playing again. They are not the same as before, but you can see they still have quality. Maybe they will also make some mistakes, which can be quite fun to watch from a fan’s view.

"So it’s quite a mixture that is good to watch for children and young people. It’s good for families to see the match and how these legends have still got great qualities.”

The combative midfielder has featured for United in previous Legends encounters, and he even revealed that his daughter’s first ever experience of Old Trafford was in the Bayern Munich tie back in 2015.

“She came to watch and it was the first time she’d come to Old Trafford to see me, but I don’t know if she will still remember it or not!” Park laughed. “It was a great feeling to bring the family to Old Trafford to see me playing so it will be another great memory for me to have to play in the Legends match again.”

www.manutd.com

[Andi Istiabudi]

Baru tahu kalau ibunda Park Ji-Sung ternyata meninggal dunia bulan lalu karena kecelakaan mobil. Semoga tetap tegar dan semangat selalu yaa Park !!!

[zudomiriku]

Park Ji-sung reveals secret to his relentless Manchester United displays: drinking juice from wild frogs!

* South Korean former midfielder revealed concoction his father used to make
* As a child he needed to get bigger and stronger to fulfill footballing ambitions
* Ex-Manchester United stalwart became renowned for his energetic displays
* He said: 'It tasted bad but I had to drink it because I wanted to be a footballer'

Park Ji-sung's relentlessly energetic displays for Manchester United were the stuff of legend and the retired South Korean midfielder has finally revealed his bizarre secret weapon: 'frog juice'.

As a youngster with ambitions of making it to the top, Park's father would travel from Suquon to Goheung to gather wild frogs for his son.

He then boiled them and made his son drink the juices, under the guise that it would improve his strength.


Park Ji-sung became famous for his massively energetic shifts in a Manchester United shirt. The former midfielder was a menace for opposition with his incredible work rate. Drinking 'frog juice' could have been the secret to his successful career in football

Park said: 'My father went to catch wild frogs. I was skinny and weak and my father heard their juice would give me size and strength.

'It tasted very, very bad but I had to drink it because I wanted to be a footballer and everyone said I needed to be bigger and stronger.

'They said it was good for my health to become stronger and I ate everything that would improve my health.'

The dubious home remedy seemed to do the trick, with Park becoming famous for his fitness and tenacity over 90 minutes.

He went on to become the first Asian winner of the Champions League and also won three Premier League titles under Sir Alex Ferguson.

The 37-year-old retired in 2014 and now acts as a United ambassador.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-5730761/Park-Ji-Sung-reveals-secret-Manchester-United-displays-drinking-juice-wild-frogs.html

[Andi Istiabudi]

PARK RECALLS PAINFUL MOSCOW MEMORY

A decade ago this week, Sir Alex Ferguson made a decision over team selection he would later claim to be the toughest of his entire career.

The legendary Scot, who had made huge calls in the past at Manchester United in key games, involving Jim Leighton, Mark Hughes and Bryan Robson among others, and previously with Aberdeen and Scotland, agonised over his plans for the 2008 Champions League final against Chelsea.

Ji-sung Park was the most reliable of Ferguson's foot-soldiers and as selfless an individual you could wish to have in the team. The South Korean had started the memorable second leg of the semi-final against Barcelona and followed his instructions to the letter.

Only last year, Sir Alex conceded: "My problem in the 2008 final, maybe I even regret it to this day, was I left Ji-sung Park out completely in the final. He’d played such a great role and that’s the problem when you get to these finals."

Park would eventually get to play in the biggest game in European club football - in 2009 and 2011 - but told ManUtd.com, in an interview conducted before Sir Alex's recent illness, of his reaction to being left out on that grand occasion in Russia.

"It’s great to hear that and he regrets that," said the midfielder. "I know how difficult it must be to make a decision on the final squad. I know that’s the hardest task for the manager. Sir Alex had many decisions in his career so, if he said that about me, means it’s impressive for me as well.

"Actually, I watched from the stands and I have mixed feelings. Sometimes, I couldn’t believe I was in the stands but I knew it was the manager’s decision and I needed to follow that. But I still kept thinking what should I have done better because I missed the final. There must be some reason to miss the final.

"Generally, I just supported our team, football is a team sport, and I watched the final to follow the team to succeed, achieve great memories and win that great trophy. In the end, we won the game and I was still happy as that meant the manager’s decision was correct. I knew I had to improve myself for next time. It was a hard time but that made me even stronger."

www.manutd.com

[Andi Istiabudi]

WHY JI-SUNG PARK IS BACK AT UNITED

Former Manchester United midfielder Ji-sung Park is currently spending some time at the club, learning about how it operates away from the football pitch.

The 37-year-old, who spent seven years at Old Trafford as a player, is learning how the world of football works off the pitch and has recently spent some time back at the Aon Training Complex.

After retiring in 2014, Ji studied Management, Law and Humanities of Sport MA at De Montfort University, in Leicester, and his education has now expanded to Manchester, where he is learning about player development.

Ji was at Old Trafford on Tuesday night to watch the Reds in UEFA Champions League action against Juventus, alongside fellow United favourites Quinton Fortune, Patrice Evra and Ole Gunnar Solskjaer (pictured above).

Before the game, he spoke to MUTV and gave us some insight into what he's been doing back at the club.

“It is great to be back at Manchester United,” Ji said. “I am seeing how the club manages the youth development, the coaching staff and the scouting system - the technical side of the club. I want to see how they're doing it and it has been great to see.

“I have enjoyed it so far, seeing how they develop the players and studying women's football as well.

“We always achieve a winning mentality and that is in our history. The players should have it, the team should have it, the youth teams and women's team as well. It's great to see the whole club has the same mindset to achieve the same thing.”

Ji joined United in 2005 and went on to play more than 200 games for the club, winning four Premier League titles in the process. He was also part of the 2008 Champions League-winning squad and earned 100 caps for South Korea.

After leaving United, Ji joined Queens Park Rangers for a brief spell before hanging up his boots in 2014. And the former South Korea captain said when deciding to gain some work experience, United was the obvious choice.

“The doors are always open for the ex-players to return and we are so pleased with that,” he said. “The ex-players ask the club something and the club will always help the ex-players with what they want to achieve.

“It has been brilliant and, during my career, it has always been the same - this club is a family.”

www.manutd.com