Indeed, with the Koreans sharing the tournament’s hosting duties alongside regional rivals Japan, much was expected of both Park and the rest of Guus Hiddink’s squad ahead of their campaign against the world’s elite. Neither were to disappoint.

German coach Gert Engels handed Park his debut with the J.League club and tells the-AFC.com about the formative years of one of Asia’s greatest ever players.

When Gert Engels talks about Park Ji-sung, the same characteristic is mentioned time and again: stability. From the moment he first set eyes on footage of Park playing for Myongji University, it was the youngster’s unerring approach that stood out for the former Yokohama Flugels and Kyoto Purple Sanga coach.

Unlike the Premier League, Serie A, Bundesliga and Eredivisie, the success stories of Asian footballers in Spain belongs to a more exclusive cast, often due to the challenging nature of the country's footballing landscape.

To help us study this select group of players, we have enlisted the go-to-guy for all things Spanish football, Sid Lowe.

La Liga, the top division of Spanish football, holds a place in the consciousness of fans throughout the globe, and it is also a nation which has played host to some standout players from the world’s largest continent.

In increasing numbers, Asian players are flocking to Spain, with some of the continent’s brightest prospects now making it their first port of call in European football.

With La Liga resuming this week, we invite you to decide which Asian player has made the biggest impact in Spanish football.

Here are our nominees:

Coming straight from the wind-blast of winter in Wellington (where it snowed the day later) into Kuala L was a shock for most players and the England captain Lineker - although more 'acclimatised' than most - was equally shocked.

"I got a few that night,” he remembers modestly of his four-goal haul, but it was the backstory to the game that was to play out for the next 12 months.

The win took Markaz Balatah to 45 points, giving them an unassailable seven-point lead over second-placed Markaz Shabab Al-Am'ari, who defeated Al-Ahli Qalqilya 6-1.

To select the candidates for each position, we have reflected on match data from FIFA World Cups dating all the way back to 1966 and presented a statistics-based approach to highlight the players who have shone brightest on the biggest stage of all.

We start our series of articles with the three candidates in contention for the all-important number one jersey. With a combined 11 FIFA World Cup editions between them, the trio boast a wealth of experience at the global showpiece. So, review the nominees and then choose your favourite goalkeeper to helm the rearguard for this all-star XI in the poll below.