Filed under: Manchester United, Premier League, Football
Normally it takes a serious injury for fans to fully appreciate the loss of an unsung player. For Manchester United's followers, it is going to take a meaningless competition to realise the true value Ji-Sung Park brings to Sir Alex Ferguson's team.The 2011 Asian Cup kicks off in just over three weeks time in Qatar.
And while competing nations such as Uzbekistan and Bahrain are likely to come to a standstill during the 16-team tournament, life will carry on as normal at Old Trafford.
Or as normal as possible without Park, who is establishing himself as a real impact player and who has been named in South Korea's Asian Cup squad.
Park might lack the same X-factor appeal as Wayne Rooney or David Beckham, who was at Old Trafford to witness his winner against Arsenal on Monday, but, he is United's Mr Reliable, small in stature but who always rises to the big occasion.
Unlike a certain other overseas player across Manchester, the 29-year-old midfielder does not complain of homesickness despite being thousands of miles from his homeland. Nor is his ego so big that he publicly berates his manager when he is substituted.
Indeed, Park's demeanour is such that Ferguson knew he would get no trouble from Park when he left him out of the Champions Leage final with Chelsea in 2008, despite having played every minute of the quarter and semi-finals.
It is things like that why Ferguson knows Park will be a huge miss next month.
"He's in fantastic form and we lose him after December 26 for the Asia Cup for seven matches which is disappointing," said Ferguson after Park's fourth goal in seven starts against Arsenal sent United two points clear at the top of the table.
Park might be the quiet man of the United dressing room, but Rio Ferdinand has no doubts about him.
His nickname in his homeland in Mickey Mouse or Sweet Potato but among his team's followers he is known as Three Lungs.
"Ji's a big time player. That's a fact," said Ferdinand after United replaced Arsenal at the summit ahead of another game that will shape the title race with Chelsea on Sunday.
"He's a talented player and we love having him here. He's a proper team player and we fully appreciate that. He stepped up against Arsenal and I was pleased for him that he scored."
Which is more than Rooney managed.
His bizarre run up for his second half penalty miss against Arsenal might not have cost his team in the end.
But in a season where goals have been rare for the England striker, Rooney could have done with hitting the target instead of finding Row Z in the Stretford End in front of the watching Fabio Capello.
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