[KoreaToday] Park Ji-sung Celebrates Life in the Fast Lane

Park Ji-sung, front, and Luis Bolanos of Ecuador’s Liga Deportiva Universitaria de Quito battle for the ball during the FIFA Club World Cup final match in Yokohama, Japan, Sunday. / Reuters-Yonhap

By Bryan Kay

Staff Reporter

Few would have criticized Park Ji-sung if he had thrown in the towel at Manchester United and wallowed in the reserves until the end of his contract.

A quick sift through manager Alex Ferguson's squad list is daunting enough, but when you look at the constitution of the wing contingent, it makes for some scary reading, particularly if your name is Park Ji-sung.

So when the 27-year-old celebrated a century of appearances for the Red Devils against Tottenham Hotspur Dec. 13, it marked a magnificent achievement in his career, coming against the backdrop of the quality-congested portion of the pool which he inhabits.

If Park takes a quick look around him, he sees the likes of Nani, Cristiano Ronaldo and Ryan Giggs all competing for the wing berths. Elsewhere in the midfield, things are even more daunting, with Paul Scholes, Darren Fletcher, Michael Carrick, John O'Shea and Owen Hargreaves all part of the mix. And when guys like Carlos Tevez, Wayne Rooney and Dimitar Berbatov are forced to sit on the bench, Park's experience arguably becomes ever more humbling.

But Park appears a man with his feet firmly planted on the ground, at ease with the company he keeps, contemplating each day as if it will be his last.

At least, that's the veneer he manages to maintain and if it is a ruse, it is a very well affected one.

Speaking after reaching the summit of his 100 appearances, a relaxed Park pondered some three years of steady development.

It is perhaps fitting, then, that the landmark has been reached as he finally seems to be seen as a regular starter. So far this season, he has featured more often than not, and much of the time it has been as a starter, rather than from the bench.

That is something that has spurred the combative Korean on, and he is reveling in what is arguably the most successful period of United career.

``I'm so happy with the way things are going this season. I enjoy playing and I've been involved a lot in the first team," he told MUTV, the club's television channel.

``I need to prove what I can do and I'm going to keep doing my best."

But it is the recognition he is garnering elsewhere that says he may finally have arrived at some sort of zenith.

One man who has come to appreciate the attributes Park brings to the team is Mickey Thomas, an MUTV pundit.

He reckons the Korean deserves immense credit for the relentless shifts he puts in, something, he says, the fans don't always appreciate.

``Park never stops running," he said on manutd.com, the club's official Web site. ``Every time he plays he puts in a great shift and works his socks off - he is very dependable.

``He's not the biggest of players but he's not scared to put a challenge in. He reminds me of a pinball machine because he's always bouncing off everybody!"

Welshman Thomas is no stranger to the Man Utd midfield department, having made 110 appearances for the Red Devils in the 1970s.

``He brings that bit more balance to the team and I think Patrice Evra appreciates it. And against Manchester City he swapped wings because he gave Rafael more protection than Ronaldo would have done on the right side."

Thomas believes his omission from the strarting lineup for last season's Champions League Final against Chelsea in Moscow in May. The fact he didn't even get on the pitch as a substitute, reckons Thomas, must have hit him with an immense sense of sadness.

``To not even be on the bench after playing such a big part in the run-up was devastating for him," he said.

``But he said nothing - he just got on with it. He doesn't get upset and his demeanour never changes.He's happy and knows he's at the biggest club in the world. It'll be difficult for him to play more regularly but he knows that. There aren't many players here who are guaranteed to start week-in, week-out.

``Some fans don't appreciate what he's done yet. While the likes of Ryan Giggs, Ronaldo and Nani dribble past players, Park is a different type of winger.

``He has a good footballing brain and has played in a lot of big games because his work ethic is very important. Maybe some fans don't see him as a star but his team-mates will enjoy playing with him because he gives everything.

``The Premier League is tough and he has handled it superbly well. I think there's no danger of him leaving any time soon."

Park probably agrees. And he might just another crack at the Champions League Final next year. If he continues his current form, surely Ferguson wouldn't dare?

bryan-s-kay@hotmail.com

[출처 : 코리아타임스]