Park Ji-sung

Park Ji-sung
박지성

Park at the G-20 Seoul Summit in 2010
Personal information
Full name	Park Ji-sung
Date of birth	(1981-02-25) 25 February 1981 (age 35)
Place of birth	Goheung, Jeollanam-do, South Korea
Height	1.75 m (5 ft 9 in)
Playing position	Midfielder
Club information
Current team	Manchester United (global ambassador)
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2000	Myongji University
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2000–2003	Kyoto Purple Sanga	76	(11)
2003–2005	PSV Eindhoven	65	(13)
2005–2012	Manchester United	134	(19)
2012–2014	Queens Park Rangers	20	(0)
2013–2014	→ PSV Eindhoven (loan)	23	(2)
Total		318	(45)
National team
2000	South Korea U20	2	(0)
1999–2004	South Korea U23	23	(3)
2000–2011	South Korea	100	(13)
Honours Representing South Korea Men's football Asian Games 2002 Busan Team
* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

* Senior club appearances and goals counted for the domestic league only.

Park Ji-sung (Hangul: ; Hanja: ; Korean pronunciation: [pakt͈ɕisʰʌŋ]; born 25 February 1981) is a South Korean former footballer who currently serves as a club ambassador at Manchester United.

Born in Goheung, Jeollanam-do, he was the captain of the South Korean national team until his retirement from international football. Park is the most successful Asian footballer in history, having won 19 trophies in his career and is the first Asian footballer to have won the UEFA Champions League trophy, the first Asian footballer to play in a UEFA Champions League Final, as well as the first Asian footballer to have won the FIFA Club World Cup. Park is able to play anywhere across the midfield and is noted for his exceptional fitness level, discipline, work ethic and off-the-ball movement. His remarkable endurance levels and pace earned him the nickname 'Three-Lungs' Park.

Park began his football career in his native South Korea and played for the Myongji University team before moving to Japan to play for Kyoto Purple Sanga. After Park's national team manager Guus Hiddink moved back to the Netherlands to manage PSV Eindhoven, Park followed him to the Dutch side a year later. After PSV reached the semi-finals of the 2004–05 UEFA Champions League, Park's talents were recognised by Manchester United manager Alex Ferguson and he signed Park for a fee of around £4 million in July 2005. In his time at Manchester United, Park won the Premier League four times and also won the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League and the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup. He moved to Queens Park Rangers in July 2012 after suffering a reduction in his number of appearances for Manchester United the previous season. However, an injury-interrupted season with QPR, combined with the club's relegation, led to Park rejoining PSV on loan for the 2013–14 season.