A Manchester United hero once admitted he drank boiled frogs he father had caught as a makeshift protein shake to try and improve his physicality
08:00, 28 Feb 2026
Dejected Manchester United players Rio Ferdinand, Paul Scholes and Ji-Sung Park trudge off the pitch having been eliminated from the Champions League after losing 2-1 in the UEFA Champions League group D match between Benfica and Manchester United at the Stadium of Light on December 7, 2005 in Lisbon, Portugal.
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Park Ji-sung is a hero at Manchester United(Image: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images)
A Manchester United hero once admitted to drinking wild frogs that his dad had boiled to make him stronger.
The Red Devils were undisputedly England's best football team in the lates 2000s, however Park Ji-Sung had a secret to his success in the middle of the park. Park was part of their Champions League winning side, but didn't always look like he make it professionally.
In his youth, Park had struggled with his physicality, but his dad had cunning plan - and he would make the long journey from their home in Suwon to Go-heung county, where he would visit frog farms to gather the ingredients for an unusual protein drink.
Lionel Messi and Ji-Sung Park battle for the ball
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Park Ji-sung played in the ill-fated Champions League final(Image: GETTY)
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He explained: "My father went to catch wild frogs. I was skinny and weak and my father heard their juice would give me size and strength," Park said.
"It tasted very, very bad but I had to drink it because I wanted to be a footballer and everyone said I needed to be bigger and stronger.
"They said it was good for my health to become stronger and I ate anything that would improve my health."
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Park made his professional debut for Kyoto Purple Sanga in Japan before impressing at PSV and earning a move to Manchester United.
He was left on the bench for the 2007/08 Champions League final in Moscow. A decision Sir Alex Ferguson admitted "almost broke my heart".
However, he was selected to start two years alter in Rome, where Untied lost 2-0 to Barcelona. "Missing out on one final and losing another makes me more eager to play and win this game," he said.
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"If I play and we win the game it will be fantastic for me. It is my dream but I have to play 100 percent for my dreams to come true."