Pics: Ji-sung Park plays for university team

Manchester United ambassador Ji-sung Park returned to an English football pitch in unusual circumstances this week by playing for a De Montfort University student XI.

The South Korean, who won nine major honours in seven seasons at Old Trafford, including four Premier League titles, is currently completing a degree in sports management on a year-long course that requires him to study in Leicester for three months, before moving to Milan and finishing in Switzerland.

Remarkably, Park is living in student accommodation while furthering his education in the Midlands and it was his willingness to immerse himself into student life that led to his cameo appearance.

A match was organised between a staff team and students on the sports management course at local football club Opry Town, where Park stepped off the bench in the second half. Although he retired in 2014, he produced what has been described as a “great performance” in midfield.

Adam Redfern, a former student at De Montfort who now works in the communications department, played against Park and spoke glowingly to ManUtd.com about his famous opponent.

"Yeah, he was obviously good," Adam told us. "He played as a defensive midfielder to begin with and then he got pushed forward a little bit. He was fantastic on the ball and people stood off him to see what he could do. He did his thing, he stood out and it was a great performance from him."

Expanding on Park's quality, Adam joked: "I don’t want to say he wasn’t trying, but he was basically gliding his way around the pitch and doing his thing! We noticed one thing that really stood out was his balance on the ball and the way he used his body to shift off players, or get around them. You could tell he had not played for a few years, but that he had played at the highest level."

Amazingly, despite his fame and fortune, Champions League winner Park has thrown himself into student life and has even moved his family into student accommodation in the local community.

"Somebody I know lives above him in student accommodation and he is definitely making the most of the student experience," Adam revealed to us. "He obviously earned a lot of money during his career but he hasn’t bought an expensive house. He isn’t quite in student halls, but they are flats that students live in. It is quite nice and a lot of students live there. I believe he is there with his family and children."

Photo credit: RedPix Photography