J S Park announces Retirement

J S Park announces Retirement

Former Manchester United and Queen’s Park
Rangers midfielder Park Ji-Sung has announced his
retirement.
The 33-year-old, who made over 200 appearances
for United between 2005 and 2012, spent last
season on loan at Dutch club PSV Eindhoven – the
club from which he joined the Red Devils.
He was one of the first South Korean players to
make a significant impact in the Premier League.
He announced his retirement from international
football having won 100 caps for his country and
representing them in three World Cups in 2002, 2006
and 2010.
He played a significant role in the 2002 tournament,
which South Korea co-hosted and became the first
Asian side to reach the semi-finals.
Park was the first Asian player to score goals at
three World Cups.
He rejected calls for a return to help the squad at
the tournament in Brazil this summer.
Park began his career with Kyoto Purple Sanga
before first joining PSV in 2003 and then, two years
later, United, with whom he won four Premier League
titles, and the Club World Cup in 2008, having been
left out of the 18-man squad for the UEFA
Champions League final win over Chelsea earlier
that year.
He moved to QPR in 2012 for a brief and ill-fated
playing spell that ended when the club were
relegated to the Championship in 2013.
During his retirement announcement, Park admitted
that knee operations he underwent in 2003 and 2007
were a major factor in his decision to quit playing.
“I’ve been mulling retirement since February, and
I’ve concluded that my knee won’t hold up for
another season,” he said.
“I have no regrets about my career. I do think about
what might have been if I hadn’t been injured, but I
have no feelings of disappointment or sorrow as I
leave the sport.”