Manchester United Fans Club

South Korean star Park Ji-Sung has highlighted Guus Hiddink the manager of Russia as the biggest influence on his career rather than Sir Alex Ferguson, but sees similarities between the two.

The midfield dynamo,who is out of action until at least January with an injured right knee, said he owed a lot to Hiddink, the former coach of South Korea and PSV Eindhoven. After being snubbed by a number of clubs in Korea, Ji-Sung Park attended Myung-Ji University to continue his footballing career.

Park’s first professional contract was at
J-League’s Kyoto Purple Sanga in 2000. He was the first Korean footballer ever to go straight to the J-League without first playing for the K-League. In 2001 the club won the Division 2 championships and promoted to the first division. In 2002, Park led the team into the finals of the Emperor’s Cup, and scored the equalier with a header in the final match. The team went on to win the match 2-1 to become the champions of Japan for the first time in Sanga’s history. He left the J-League following the World Cup. He then moved to PSV Eindhoven in 2003 following Guus Hiddink appointment as manager of Dutch club PSV Eindhoven.

“When I was young, I always tried to play at a club that was more advanced than my level, so I was continually challenging my self to attain higher goals,” said Park. “It was Guus Hiddink who turned my career around. By believing in me, he made me believe in mysel. This is such an important thing for a young footballer”.

In the closing months of the 2004-05 season, Park was vigorously scouted by top football clubs in the English Premier League and the Italian Serie A. Chelsea was also keen to sign Park, however, Park choose to join our club Manchester United. Sir Alex pay PSV Eindhoven £4 million to get Park signature.

He also said he saw similarities between Hiddink and Ferguson in terms of excellent coaches and have always encourage himself and teammates to show their abilities.

How Guus Hiddink Changed Park’s Career:

(story extract from Wikipedia.org)

Most people agree that Park would not have been as successful without Hiddink as his mentor. It was Heo Jeong-Mu who elected Park into the Olympic squad, but it was not until Hiddink’s decision to convert the holding midfielder into an attacking winger that Park’s potential blossomed. It was Hiddink who picked Park as a winger in the 2002 World Cup, and then signed him for PSV Eindhoven. At PSV, Park’s first season was rather disappointing, but Hiddink kept his trust in Park, repeatedly saying to the media that Park is a great player and a great asset to the team. Park thanked Hiddink with superb performances on the pitch.

The following is a translation from Park’s autobiography.

“I was sitting alone in an empty locker room, left leg injured. I need to prove my worth when the opportunity is given. I look at my leg, powerless, and wonder why I had to get hurt in this moment. Then, Coach Hiddink appears out of nowhere with an interpretor and speaks to me in English. Not understanding, I stare at the interpretor.

“He says you have great mentality. With that kind of mental strength, you will become a great player.”

I was shocked. Before I could murmur the easy ‘thank you’ in English, he was gone. My heart was pounding. The coach always seemed to be so far away, but he came to me and told me I have great mentality. Somewhere inside, energy was rousing up. … Mentality. I have nothing else to boast, but one thing I could do is to never give up. I will endure all hardships, even if I would die from it. And I will keep this mentality. … In the entire World Cup, I played with those words ringing in my ears. With my mentality, I can become a great player. I kicked the ball and ran around the field clinging on to those words. For better or for worse, I am calm and quiet, so not many people take notice of me. But I was sure that Coach Hiddink would be looking at me and urging me to move on. This gave me courage.

If it was not for Coach Hiddink, I would not be where I am now.

With the words “where I am now,” I am not referring to me becoming famous or being able to purchase a spacious condo for my parents. I am referring to the fact that I learned to love myself more.

Within a minute, what Coach Hiddink said to me changed my life forever. I feel a bit shy thinking about what he would think after reading this, but he is my “master” and I owe him everything and I won’t be able to repay it in my lifetime.”

After scoring the winner against Portugal in the World Cup to secure a place in the last 16, knocking Portugal out in the process, the first thing Park did was to run to Hiddink and give him a bear hug.