Ji-sung is our unsung hero

Cracker Carrick

"Hopefully I'm just hitting top form at the right time really.
"It's nice to play well and it's nice to win the big games."
- Michael Carrick on emerging as a key figure

Michael Carrick has revealed Ji-sung Park is just as popular in the dressing room as he is with the Old Trafford crowd.

The South Korean midfielder swiftly ended any hopes of a Chelsea comeback with a razor-sharp finish to prevent a nervous finale and send United storming into the Champions League semi-finals.
Park's energetic input has long been recognised by the fans and Carrick has paid his own tribute to the 30-year-old who specialises in big-match goals.
"Typical Ji," Carrick told MUTV. "The lads love him.
"He's so appreciated in the dressing room. A lot of the work he does goes unseen by many, but not by us, I can assure you of that. We appreciate everything he does and he's popped up again with a vital goal but his overall performance was just brilliant for us."
Carrick is typically modest about his own contribution despite two midfield masterclasses against Chelsea, outshining the likes of Frank Lampard and Michael Essien in both legs.
"Hopefully I'm just hitting top form at the right time really," he stressed. "It's nice to play well and it's nice to win the big games. I think the team in general are hitting good form. There are a lot of players playing well now and it's a good sign for us going into the run-in."
Thoughts inevitably turn to the semi-finals with Inter Milan requiring a miraculous comeback at Schalke to prevent United from meeting German opposition once again in the competition.
"It looks like Schalke at the moment," added Carrick. "You don't want to speak too soon because Inter will go there and an early goal can change it easily, but we'll see how it goes.
"The Champions League is very special. Our record over the last four or five years has been very good. We're confident, playing well and in the later stages we always back ourselves but they're always tight games and you need to play well at the right time so hopefully we can do that."