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#3 Sun Jihai (China)
The Premier League's first ever East Asian goalscorer was Sun Jihai. The Chinese defender began his career playing for Dalian Shide in 1995. During his tenure with Dalian, Jihai won four league titles and the Chinese FA Cup once with the club. He was sent on loan at Crystal Palace during the 1998-99 season but was recalled the following season as Dalian struggled in the league.
Jihai made history in 2002 when he joined Manchester City in the Premier League, becoming the first Asian to play for the club. The Chinese centre-back made 151 appearances for Manchester City across all competitions, booking a significant place in the club's history.
After playing six seasons in the Premier League, Jihai signed for Sheffield United in the Championship but played there only for a season. He then returned to China and played for as many as four new clubs until he retired in 2016.
#2 Son Heung-min (South Korea)
Son Heung-min is a well-known player in the Premier League these days. His partnership with Harry Kane at Tottenham last season was a delight to watch for. Son graduated from Hamburger SV's academy in Germany. He played for the Hamburger SV senior team for three seasons until 2013 before joining Bayer Leverkusen in the Bundesliga.
Son was a lively player for the German club and his role was important in securing their spot in the 2014-15 UEFA Champions League. Son made 62 appearances and scored 21 goals for Bayer Leverkusen after which he made the switch to the Premier League by joining Tottenham in the 2015-16 season.
Since then, Son has become a very important player for the London club. The South Korean forward has popped up with some crucial goals when desperately needed. Till date, Son has scored 72 goals for Spurs in 200 Premier League appearances, winning the Player of the Season for Spurs in the 2018-19 and 2019-20 season.
He was also named in the 2020-21 PFA Premier League Team of the Year. Son is arguably one of the finest forwards in the Premier League right now. With time on his side, the South Korean forward can still achieve a lot more in England.
#1 Park Ji-sung (South Korea)
Park Ji-sung is the most successful player in Asian history. He started his career playing football in the Japanese league with Kyoto Purple Sanga. In 2003, Park signed for PSV Eindhoven.
Courtesy of his stellar performances in the UEFA Champions League for the Dutch side, Park earned his dream move to Manchester United in the Premier League in 2005.
Park was signed by Manchester United in 2005, making him the second East Asian to play for the Red Devils after Dong Fangzhou. The South Korean was technically sound enough to play anywhere in the midfield. The best part about his game-play was his work-rate. Because of his relentless and tireless work-rate, he was nicknamed "Three-Lungs" Park.
Recently, former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson was full of praise for the former PSV midfielder. The Scottish manager went on to comment that United would have won the 2011 UEFA Champions League final had he put Park to mark Lionel Messi. It is a regret that Ferguson still has from his managerial career.
In his seven seasons at Manchester United, Park won the Premier League four times, the Champions League and the FIFA Club World Cup. He made 204 appearances for Manchester United in all competitions and was quite an underrated player during his Premier League tenure.
