UNSUNG HERO

Korean hit it out the Park

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SIR ALEX FERGUSON never shied away from making tough decisions during his 27-year reign as Manchester United manager.

It is testament to just how good Ji-Sung Park was that Ferguson ranked leaving the South Korean out of the 2008 Champions League final as just about the hardest.

This is a man who ruthlessly dropped Jim Leighton for the FA Cup final replay in 1990, left Bryan Robson out of the 1994 final altogether and got rid of Jaap Stam, David Beckham, Ruud van Nistelrooy and Roy Keane when they appeared to be in, or at least still close to, their prime.

Park arrived in Manchester from PSV in 2005 and quickly became a favourite among fans and his teammates thanks to his relentless work-rate, dependability and dedication to the cause.