The Official Park Ji-Sung Appreciation/Farewell Thread

This is love

https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=390880654410544

 

Earlier this month, I found out that our own Park Ji-Sung has a brand new book out titled “Park Ji-Sung My Story. 박지성 마이 스토리’. It’s his new book in four years, and it’s third book overall not counting the children book. Back in summer of 2010, Park released his second book titled “I sacrifice myself, to achieve bigger things (더 큰 나를 위해 나를 버리다)”. On his second book(one on the right), released right before 2010 World cup. And a lot of things happened during that fours years. Park retires from the national team, played in his second Champions League Final against Barcelona, departure from United to QPR, ends his professional career with PSV Eindhoven, and tied the knot with a very lovely lady. And since he has retired, he feels now comfortable enough to include some of the stories he could not add during his playing days.

This is going be to my review of his new book. I won’t cover every story he put on the book. But I’ll give a general impression and share just one story that I feel it will wet your appetite to go and buy the book yourself and read the whole thing for yourself. First, general impression of the book. This hardcover book retails for 22,000 Won which is around $20 bucks. Lucky for me, New York’s Korean community is big enough to host a local korean book store for people here. Ordered on Monday, and got the book on Friday. I paid $36. I overpaid, but i know the money i spent went to Park, their publisher, and the book store owner. It’s a big book with over 400 pages with a lot of color photos. The book is divided into two big parts. First, Park’s story about 200 pages. Second, season by season review from his professional career, entire 14 years, his international career review starting from his Olympic team. A detail account of his 10 best of memorable games. The second part( season by season review, 10 best game), those are not written by Park. I believe some columnist wrote this part worth about 100 pages worth. The book contains a lot of photos. Photos alone probably about 50 pages. So Park’s story which i was looking forward to the most is only worth about 200 pages. And the book uses big fonts. In two seatings, i read every story he put in the book. The season review, i didn’t find them interesting.

Just a quick recap of this second book, Park wrote his 2008 Champions League Final omission, the flag juice(extract), his thoughts of his teammates of Evra, Giggs, Rooney, Honaldoo, Chuyoung, differences between United and the national team, 2010 World cup would be his last( even back then, he knew that he was on borrowed time) and finishes the book about how he misses the ordinary life. Now finally going back to his new book, He starts by saying this just maybe his last. Park wrote about his knees( he thank them for lasting as long as it did since he devastating injury back in 2007), possibility of 2014 world cup call-up, meeting with then coach of the national team Hong MyungBo, story with his wife that no media caught on, being the captain of the national team, 2010 World Cup team, 04-05 PSV team, going to coach Ferguson’s room to talk to him, the two AC Milan encounters, Pirlo and etc. So one story i want to share from book is the phone call from Alex Ferguson in summer of 2005 in his attempt to recruit Park to the world’s biggest club, Manchester United. I originally wanted to share what he wrote about his 2008 Champions League Final omission. But i believe a board member already covered that from his second book.




Phone call from Alex Ferguson (Pages 138 to 141)

Eindhoven just finished the season with FA cup victory in May of 2005. We won the game 4-0 and hoisted the cup, I scored the third goal and we were able to finish on the high note. Final was in Rotterdam and I was on a car back to Eindhoven, my agent was sitting next to me and he got a phone call. He handed the phone to me and said “it’s Alex Ferguson and he wants to talk to you.” i said “what? Ferguson, did i misheard something? that famous coach of Manchester United, he wants to talk to me?”. Ferguson called before FA cup final but apparently he was told that there was a final game and called back so Park can play the game without knowing who called in his mind. “Hello” that distinctive English accent(Scottish) hit me. Ferguson knew that my English comprehension was low so he said everything very slowly and told me the reason why he called me. For 2 and half years, I have been studying English here and there to understand what he was trying to converse. Ferguson said Van Nistelrooy was from PSV Eindhoven and he’s a striker in the team, Giggs is not young and need a replacement in the team, my ability to be in both left or right side of the field, he feel that i could be huge addition to the team that can contribute right away and asked to me join United. I ended the call saying I’ll consider it. For second, i couldn’t believe it. That famous Manchester United wants me. At first i thought this maybe was a prank call. And the famous coach Ferguson called me personally so i couldn’t believe it.

End the last leg of 04-05 season, there was a couple of teams wanted my service. The team that gave me the most effort was Everton. But i didn’t wanted to move just any club. it took a year to adjust life in europe and i also felt a debt owed to PSV for helping me all though the tough time with injury. So moving to another team, making another adjustment is not an easy decision to make. I felt I wanted to stay in Eindhoven a little bit longer. Coach Hiddink was against me going to United. He said that i could stay in Eindhoven and achieve more silverware. Phillip Cocu was against it as well. Cocu met me separately in person and told me to stay one more season. My former team of Barcelona’s current coach Frank Rijkaard is taking a very close look at you( imagine Park at Barcelona) because they need a player to replace Ludovic Giuly who is a little bit older.

The fact that there are people near me who appreciate my ability, giving me advice, i am very grateful of that. At the end, i made the decision to go to United. The biggest reason was i want to play in the bigger league. and big club like united, getting the call like that club doesn’t happen often. Club like that may have a players who are more talented than i am. So i could be out of the starting lineup. so there was that fear. But i decided to move forward. All opportunities carries it’s own danger but i would not know those dangers if i don’t even attempt to find out. i never feared new challenges. to be exact, I never feared being failure. If i fail, I always thought i could start new again. I was 24 when United called me. Even when if i fail in Manchester i felt i was young enough to start again somewhere else. I went to meet with coach Hiddink after i made the decision. He said “Is it your decision or is it your agent’s decision ?” i replied “it’s mine, and i wanted to go and face new challenge “. Coach Hiddink then, never held me back, he was sad that i was leaving but told me to fight like you always did to get here and do the same over there. and so began my new challenge.


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Now, the translation is not perfect. So i hope you forgive me if i didn’t translate the pages correctly. But i hope this wet your appetite and go buy the book yourself.and read it yourself. it’s an awesome book.

 

Woah, how interesting that Park ji-Sung could've ended up at Barcelona, but....... screw Barca kkkkk. Anyway, the only Park Ji-Sung book that I have is '멈추지 않는 도전' (Never ending Challenge/Endless Challenge) which was an awesome read by the way, but I'll be sure to pick up '더 큰 나를 위해 나를 버리다' on G마켓 later this week.

By the way, if there's another great book out there on the KNT then I recommend you folks to go out and buy Hiddink's '마이웨이'.

 

Wish there were english translations of his books

 

nice new avatar

 

Who is it?

 

Han chae young

 

@heyheyhe11



Thanks man, beautiful thing I read today. Hey any chance that Ji Sung Park book will come in English?

 

dude, your written English has gotten better and better. great job!

 

In honour of PJS's 34th Birthday - From Squawka: The best and worst Asian players in Premier League history

Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United teams are often remembered for their attacking style and wonderful wing play, but they also had the ability to keep things tight in big games.

The Scot often turned to Park Ji-Sung against strong opposition, confident that the former South Korea international’s energy and tactical intelligence would ensure that his game plan was carried out.



Park joined United from PSV for around £4 million in 2005, via BBC Sport, and he helped the club to win four league titles and the Champions League during his seven-year spell at Old Trafford.

He is arguably the best Asian player in Premier League history, and to mark his 34th birthday, we've selected some other players from the continent who have made a real impact in English football, as well as a few that didn't make the grade.

KSY - LCY - PCY - LYP on the author's list.

 

one more albeit old underlying video

VIDEO: @theKFA legend Park Jisung is 34 today. We recall Korea Republic's fairytale 2002 WChttp://t.co/pBbudwYmSR

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) February 25, 2015

 

That wolverhampton brace was probably my favorite performance from Park in a United shirt. For me, it was like he cemented his place in United folklore under Fergie. United recognized for their players who show up for big games? Park already had that reputation. United scores late goals? Park got the winner in the 3 minute of stoppage time. It might seem like just another premier league game, but man, I remember thinking just that.

 

Patrice evra and Van Der Saar tried lifting PJS on their shoulders after the whistle too. It was a really endearing moment for them all.

 

I remember the Wolves game was well. Often time we saw United under Ferguson's tenure come up with a goal that would equal or win the game at the stoppage time. Many times at the Stretford end saw United just breaking the heart of their opposition. Let's not also forget that Park scored both goals that day plus he also scored against Wolves on a League Cup fixture earlier that 10-11 season. Park also scored the winner against Arsenal in that same season. 10-11 season is probably the best season Park had in Manchester. Looking that Wikipedia, the total appearance for that season was only 28 games. A little bit short but that's because Park was away for a month for Asian Cup duties and picked up an injury right away came back around March. But scored 8 goals and played(started) in some of the more important games during that season. Started in FA Cup semi-finals against City(lost), both Arsenal games, three Chelsea games (two in Champions League quarter-finals and most important league game in May which was the Premiership decider) and Champions League Final against Barcelona.

But for me, the biggest and most important goal he scored was the winner back 09-10 season against Liverpool back in March of 2010. Entering the day, United was 2nd behind Chelsea, and facing the team above all trying to surpass in terms of Championship in England. Park found himself again in a starter in a big game. I remember Park for this game was place in a second striker playing below Rooney in the middle. Rarely Park was in middle of the field because he was always until that point played wide left or right. But probably this season, since the Pirlo game in San Siro, Alex Ferguson put Park in the middle of the field playing both Valencia and Nani on the wide area. Park wasn't having a very good game. But he was usual himself. Just hard working. The game was tied at 1-1 around 60th mins, often time we saw Alex Ferguson taking Park out around the same time many games prior to change things up. I never expected Park to score the winner in this game. I watched the game live on TV and the sound of Martin Tyler saying "Park!" gives me chills to this day( I have the video on my iphone always). And the applause from United fans when Park was subbed out at the end of the game is just freaking awesome. The game ends in United victory and United for little while were in 1st place. Unfortunately, United didn't win the Premiership in that season. But I feel, Park's goal that season for me, was the goal of Park's career in United.

 

Was reading an article on one of my favorite websites and I saw a PJS reference by the author Cobi Jones. http://www.theplayerstribune.com/us-mens-soccer-pivotal-moments/

 

He may be gone but still spammed across latest air asia planes



http://www.ttrweekly.com/site/2015/03/thai-airasia-x-adds-third-aircraft/

 

Hey guys where can I read more of the PJS autobiography stuff in English or at least have some access to it? Any suggestions? I'd love to read more about his experience at United.

 

One of the most controversial moment of park's United career was when he was left completley out 2008 champs finals. Because park had a stellar strings of performances against roma and Barcelona. Everyone thought park was an easy shoe in to start the final.

Park wrote about that exclusion in his book published in 2010, and adds a little bit more in this new book released not too long ago. Other than that, stuff like his final meeting with ferguson, and he praises likes honaldoo, Rooney and giggs.

That champions league final chapter has been translated in this board before. Check some of old park thread in korean players aboard section.

 

Park Ji-sung's story: an album for football fans

Park Ji-sung, center, poses after signing a contract with Kyoto Sanga F.C. on May 15, 2000. The Japanese club was Park's first professional team he signed at the age of 19. / Korea Times file


"My Story" by Park Ji-sung
By Nam Hyun-woo

Former Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-sung's new volume of his autobiography, "My Story," recounts how the calm speaking 33-year-old was inspired and pressured before and after every single game he played, rather than being Korea's beloved football star ― a perspective that people might have missed while focusing on his stats or performances he gave every weekend on the pitch.

Inarguably, Park is Korea's most successful sporting export who pioneered the Asian infiltration into European football and his experiences there are worth three volumes (so far) ― the first two were "Never Ending Challenge" (2006) and "Throwing Myself Away" (2010). Sadly, however, "My Story" does not have as much an impact as Park had on the pitch.

In the entire book, Park spends pages telling his many fans here, who had doubts blended with sadness over their adored star hanging up his boots, his reasons for doing so.

"I was weirdly calm when I woke up on the morning of May 14, 2014," Park recalls of the day he announced his retirement. "I had thought it would feel odd to call an end to my competitive career, but I felt it was nothing different from a typical morning without any schedule."

Park explains he was extraordinary calm because he was the best person to judge that he could not play competitive football anymore.

"While playing for PSV Eindhoven in the Netherlands, the condition of my knee got surprisingly worse. The pain never went away. It was time I stopped," he writes. During his playing career, he underwent three surgeries on his knee and left ankle. The last surgery was in 2007 while with Manchester United and he returned to the pitch after nine months of rehabilitation, but his knee continued to cause problems and in 2014, when he returned to the Dutch club, it sent signals that it could not endure anymore, Park writes. He recalled he had to dose himself with painkillers before every game he played in February and thanked coach Phillip Cocu for the care he gave him then.

In order not to lose readers' attention, Park reveals a few anecdotes: He was asked by former Korean national football team coach Hong Myung-bo to return to the national team for the 2014 Brazil World Cup although Park had quit international football in 2011; he was offered blank checks several times from Korean, Chinese and Middle East clubs; and he wore boots with his then-girlfriend (now his wife) Kim Min-ji's initials on them during his last season, but the media didn't spot it.

Sadly again, these are the only updates the book reveals. The rest of the 430-page book reiterates stories that he has already told or confessed to in the previous volumes and only offers statistic summaries on his 14 years as a professional footballer.

According to Yes 24, one of the largest online bookstores here, more than 100,000 copies of Park's first and second books were sold and these have been the top two best selling football-related books here for the past decade. This means at least the same number of people already know that Park's father fed him frog's soup and deer antlers to help his son gain strength, and what it took for Park to brush off criticism calling him a "jersey seller" from Asia.

During his competitive career, Park has been a nightmare for gossip writers for his quiet personality ― as you could see in his performances ― and efforts to keep his private life out of spotlight.

So is this book. Given his quiet personality and the book's title My Story, it is not surprising that it is not as sparkling as other high-profile footballers' autobiographies, such as Zlatan Ibrahimovic's "I am Zlatan Ibrahimovic," or Andrea Pirlo's "I Think Therefore I Play."

My Story was published last month and it was timely. He would have needed to close out his career with a book that looked back on it not long after his retirement. To do so, he required the assistance of Park Moon-sung, a renowned football commentator known to be a close friend of Park's. The footballer told his story to the eloquent commentator, whose delivery makes "My Story" a page-turner. But this isn't because Park's story is thrilling ― rather, it prompts readers to skim through chapters, the way you skip through scenes when re-watching a favorite film, because much of its content isn't new.

Instead, this book will serve as an album full of memories, as Park wrote in the prologue "I hope that my memoir will also become an enjoyable memory of your own." Park's joining of Manchester United has enriched the football culture here. Enjoying European matches on weekend nights have become something of a routine for many young men since then, watching and talking the night away with friends.

"I hope one day in the future when I happen to jog someone's memory, he or she will find small pleasure by opening and reading my book," he concludes. And this may suffice as the reason why this book exists.
http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/culture/2015/03/142_176032.html

 

More secruity, less stress than managing.

 

friend, ardent supporter and great teammate of PJS, Rio Ferdinand has lost his wife to cancer. devastating news.

deepest sympathies to Rio, his 3 children and family.