Manchester United stars, including Park Ji-sung, gathered at the funeral of former manager Alex Ferguson’s wife to pay their respects.
“David Beckham listens to eulogies with former United stars at the funeral of Alex Ferguson’s wife, Kathy Ferguson,” British media outlet The Sun reported on July 17 (KST).
Ferguson, the legendary United manager, recently lost his wife of more than 50 years.
Ferguson’s wife, Kathy Ferguson, passed away on May 5 at the age of 84.
Ferguson, now 81, first met Kathy in 1964 when he was an active soccer player, and they married in 1966 when he was 25.
During their 57 years of marriage, the couple had three sons and two daughters, 12 grandchildren and one great-grandchild.
Ferguson made no secret of his love for his wife, writing in his autobiography, “I have had the good fortune to meet a wonderful girl who has been my rock for almost 50 years.”
The news of Ferguson’s beloved wife’s passing prompted United and its fans to pay tribute to her. The United men’s team wore black armbands for the eighth round of the 2023/24 Premier League season against Brentford at Old Trafford on July 7, and flags were flown at half-mast at Old Trafford.
Some time after Kathy Ferguson’s passing, her funeral was held at St. Andrews Cathedral in Scotland on Sunday.
Many of Ferguson’s former players arrived in Glasgow to pay their respects and offer their condolences.
David Beckham, a global soccer star beyond United and England, was among the many United legends who attended the funeral, along with Darren Fletcher, Gary Neville, Nicky Butt and Michael Carrick.
Liverpool legend and former Liverpool manager Kenny Dalglish, who now manages Celtic, and Brendan Rodgers, who once managed Liverpool, also attended the funeral to console Ferguson, who was left heartbroken by the loss of his wife to their rivalry.
Ferguson’s protégé, South Korean soccer legend Park Ji-sung, also flew to England to be with his mentor as he bids farewell to his wife.
A star of the 2002 Korea-Japan World Cup, Park later moved to PSV Eindhoven, where he performed so well that Ferguson called him to join one of the world’s greatest clubs in the summer of 2005.
Once in a United shirt, he was part of the club’s heyday, lifting 11 trophies in seven years until 2012.
Ferguson’s trust in Park was so great that he became the club’s “unsung hero,” becoming the first Asian player to win the UEFA Champions League in 2008.
In particular, the 2009/10 Champions League round of 16 second leg against AC Milan is still talked about as one of Park Ji-Sung’s best performances to date, as he harassed Milan’s key midfielder and “pass master” Andrea Pirlo for the entire match, under Ferguson’s direction. 카지노사이트가이드
Pirlo later said in an interview, “My best teammate technically was Ronaldinho.
The best opponent was Lionel Messi, but the most annoying player to play against was Park Ji-sung.”
Park Ji-Sung’s performances have inspired many soccer fans in South Korea to follow the Premier League, and United have a huge fan base in the country.
Many South Korean soccer stars, including Tottenham Hotspur captain and South Korean national soccer team ace Son Heung-min, have been inspired to pursue their dreams of playing abroad after watching Park’s performances.
After a long career in Europe, Park announced his retirement from the game in 2014 at the age of 33. Man United then recognized Park’s contribution by appointing him as the seventh and first non-European ambassador for the club.
Fast-forward to 2021, and Park has been involved with K League 1 side Jeonbuk Hyundai in an advisory capacity, and since 2022, he has served as Jeonbuk’s technical director.
