Former Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-sung has disclosed that missing out from the squad for the 2008 Champions League final was one of the 'saddest moments' of his playing career.
Park missed the entirety of the Champions League group stage with a knee injury in 2007/08.
The South Korean made just 18 appearances in all competitions that season due to his long injury lay-off.
"We won the Premier League many times and reached many finals, and it was in Moscow that I had one of my saddest moments when I found out I wasn't in the squad for the Champions League final against Chelsea," the midfielder told Utd Unscripted.
"Everyone was great, but I still remember Patrice (Evra) and Carlos (Tevez) in particular, they definitely gave me comfort. I was sad, obviously, but they just hugged me, then I could read their faces how they felt disappointed for me and how sad they felt. They wanted to share the occasion with me, with their friend, so I felt really appreciated by their behaviour and their expressions on their faces. But what can we do? I was disappointed before, then once the game started I was just praying for us to win. That's our situation. The atmosphere in our dressing room was like that. After everything, we won the Champions League so nobody can blame anybody!
Park began hi career in his native South Korea and played for the Myongji University team before moving to Japan to play for Kyoto Purple Sanga.
He moved aboard to play for PSV in the Eredivisie. Following his performances, Manchester United manager at that time, Sir Alex Ferguson signed Park for a fee of around £4 million in July 2005.
He continued: "The party afterwards, I half enjoyed it, half didn't enjoy it, it was a strange feeling. I could understand it in my head that we were champions of Europe but I couldn't really feel it in my heart, so it was mixed feelings. I was really happy that we succeeded and won the Champions League, which is what we wanted to do, and I know it wasn't only me, there were other players in the squad who hadn't played. We had 25 or more who wanted to be in the squad and only 18 who could make it, so I knew it wasn't just me. That's the team, you know."
Park won the Premier League four times and also won the 2007–08 UEFA Champions League and the 2008 FIFA Club World Cup. He moved to Queens Park Rangers in July 2012.
He left QPR after the club relegated, this led to Park rejoining PSV on loan for the 2013–14 season.
He later retired in 2014.
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