He is one of the unsung heroes of the star studded Manchester team. But for his national team he is the star and for his performance in the World Cup he has received lavish praise from Manchester United.

Park Ji-sung, the captain of the Korean national team, said before the games kicked off in South Africa that this would be his last World Cup. But after he led the team to the second round, he seems to have become more flexible, saying he will not retire from the national team immediately.

Park, who joined Manchester United in the summer of 2005, has two more seasons with the Manchester United before his contract expires in June 2012. There were reports prior to the World Cup that Bayern Munich is headhunting him, but he prefers to stay with the current team. Experts say ManU has no good reason to trade Park, who is undisputedly the best football star from Asia.

On Thursday the club published a review of the Korean team's World Cup on its website. "If this was Ji's first and last World Cup as skipper of his nation, he should have few regrets," it said. Park scored a goal in the match against Greece and performed outstandingly as a central midfielder. The article made it clear that it does not reflect the official position of the team.

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South Korea captain Park Ji-Sung is convinced the loss to Belarus is not the sign of a difficult World Cup to come

The Koreans were beaten by a solitary Sergey Kisliak goal at altitude in Austria. They will face Greece, Argentina and Nigeria in Group B at the tournament, which begins in just under two weeks.

Speaking to reporters, the Manchester United winger was quick to downplay the result.

"It was our first match during our highland training, so we might have not been fully adjusted to the circumstances yet," Park said.

"But I'm sure we have much more to show in South Africa. With more preparation, we will not have much problem against Greece."

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Park Ji-sung admits Manchester United face a major battle to overturn the 2-1 deficit against Bayern Munich in the second-leg of their Champions League quarterfinal.

The South Korea international midfielder accepts United will have a tough job at Old Trafford next Wednesday.

However, Park is also optimistic that his team can make it through to face the winners of Lyon and Bordeaux.

"We are disappointed because we were leading," said Park. "The early goal was good for us but we weren't able to build on it and get the result. But we have our chance to go through at Old Trafford.

"Bayern have an experienced team, and the club has a proud history. They did well but the situation will be different at Old Trafford. We're waiting for them to come there."

Manchester United midfielder Ji-Sung Park has no anxiety over who the Red Devils' opposition is in the Champions League last eight.

United ran rampant on Wednesday night, trouncing Italian giants AC Milan 4-0 at Old Trafford to advance 7-2 on aggregate.

The next Champions League round will be drawn next Friday, but Park, who scored United's third just short of the hour mark, said they will have to be ready for any opponent.

'It doesn't matter who we are up against in the quarter-finals. It is interesting to see how the draw goes and we will just prepare for our team after that.' Park coolly finished a pass from Paul Scholes to net his strike, and was ecstatic to get his name on the score sheet against Milan.

'I had a great game and it's always good to score at Old Trafford - especially in the Champions League - so I'm very happy. No-one should be betting against us winning another title'

Liverpool earned a 2-0 victory over Primer League rivals Manchester United on Sunday while the United winger Park Ji-sung was sidelined with knee injury.

Fernando Torres ended Liverpool's three successive defeats, scoring the opener in 65th minute with a powerful finish and David Ngog's injury time goal confirmed the victory.

With the defeat, United dropped to second place, two points adrift of Chelsea.

The United winger Park watched the rivals' joy at home due to a injury on his right knee.

"He will need two weeks to comeback," the manger Alex Ferguson told the media before the game.

Park's agency JS Limited, however, announced on Monday that the midfielder would be able to play against Bansley on Wednesday.

"He has retuned to first team training and his swollen knee is looks fine now," the agency said.

Park has been off the pitch since the national team's friendly game against Senegal on Oct. 14. The national team captain has missed the United's last six games.

Ryan Giggs, Wayne Rooney, Patrice Evra, Ji-sung Park and Darren Fletcher will all miss United's Champions League trip to CSKA Moscow.

The five players - many of them probable starters in Sir Alex Ferguson's strongest line-up - were absent from the squad flying out of Manchester on Monday afternoon. The sports betting markets have placed United as slim favourites in the match.

Sir Alex referred to Giggs, Rooney and Evra's possible absences on Saturday, when he spoke to MUTV following the Reds' 2-1 win over Bolton Wanderers.

"Ryan Giggs has got a knock and is a doubt," Sir Alex said. "We've got to try and get Wayne Rooney ready for Wednesday but we'll see him on Sunday (against Liverpool). We'll have to look at Patrice Evra, he may be a doubt."

Like Rooney, Fletcher missed the Bolton match after picking up an injury while on international duty. Meanwhile Korean sources report that Park is being rested as a precaution due to a water on the knee problem. The club has not confirmed this but Sir Alex may clarify matters in his pre-match press conference in Moscow (Tuesday, 17:30 UK).

Other possible absentees mentioned by the boss on Saturday were Dimitar Berbatov - "I think he will be all right" - and Nemanja Vidic - "I'm hopeful Vidic will be all right, but he'll certainly be ready for the Liverpool game." Both have flown to Russia.

The full United squad to face CSKA Moscow on 21 October is as follows: Van der Sar, Kuszczak, Foster; Neville, Rafael, O'Shea, Ferdinand, Vidic, Brown, J Evans, C Evans, Fabio; Valencia, Scholes, Carrick, Anderson, Nani; Owen, Berbatov, Macheda, Welbeck.

Park Ji-sung has made another bombshell headline by announcing he would play for the national team until the Asian Cup in 2011.

``As I have reached the World Cup semifinals, I am covetous of the Asian Cup title,'' the national team skipper told reporters at the National Football Center (NFC) in Paju, Gyeonggi Province on Monday.

``As for quitting the national team, the 2011 Asian football tournament will be my last international competition,'' he said. ``I really want to win the championship.''

The 28-year-old said Sunday that the 2010 World Cup in South Africa would be his final tournament.

Park was first capped in 2000 and played at the quadrennial event held in Lebanon the same year.

Park Ji-Sung admits he will be doing his utmost between now and the end of the Premier League season to convince Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson that he merits a place in the team for the Champions League final against Barcelona on May 27.

While the 28-year-old realises that reports in the media suggest he will feature in this year's final, having not even been named in the squad for last season's victory over Chelsea, the midfielder insists he is not getting carried away just yet.

With the Red Devils having three Premier League fixtures remaining, the 77-time capped South Korea international wants to use them as an opportunity to showcase his desire, hunger and commitment so that he earns a place in the 2008-09 final.

"If I play in Rome it would be great because I didn't play last season. But you don't know. There are two weeks left yet," Park told the Manchester Evening News.

"I must show on the pitch in that time that I deserve to be in the final. I have to keep my form up and show my ability on the pitch.

"I have heard and read in the media that the manager has said I should be okay for the Champions League final. He has told the press but he hasn't said anything to me.

"So I just will have to do my best in the meantime. I am not going to get excited yet."