China's Sun Jihai has been plying his trade in the English Premier League for six years and is currently considered an asset to Manchester City boss Stuart Pearce.[filephoto]

China's Sun Jihai has been plying his trade in the English Premier League for six years and is currently considered an asset to Manchester City boss Stuart Pearce.

The disappointing performances of South Korea and Japan at this summer's World Cup, with both eliminated at the group stage and winning just one match between them, stripped away some of the prestige earned by their impressive efforts in the 2002 tournament.

It is personal pride, however, that will be the biggest incentive for a group of players who have so far added spice, but little substance, to the league.

China's Sun Jihai has been plying his trade in the English Premier League for six years and is currently considered an asset to Manchester City boss Stuart Pearce.

For three of South Korea's World Cup squad, the 2006-07 Premiership campaign, which begins on Aug 19, will go a long way to proving whether they can make an impact among the big guns.

Both Manchester United's Park Ji-sung and Tottenham's Lee Young-pyo were notable successes at Dutch club PSV Eindhoven, but neither was able to reproduce that form after their moves to England last summer.

Park tormented some of the best defenders in Europe during his time at PSV, but the winger took half a season before finally scoring for United and has been a peripheral player at Old Trafford.

Lee meanwhile will hope to improve on an unconvincing start to his time at White Hart Lane.

But it is the third member of the Korean trio who poses the most intriguing questions.

Seol Ki-hyeon, 27, finally got his wish when he joined Reading in a club record-equalling ?1mil move from Championship club Wolves this month.

The former Anderlecht winger had made it clear he wanted to test himself in the Premiership after two seasons at Wolves where he proved to be the club's most creative force.

He is determined to show he can transfer that form to the top-flight and said: ¡°I'm a Premiership player and I'm very excited about that. It will be hard but I'm ready to fight.

"When Reading made an offer to me I was very happy, they've just had a fantastic season, they have a good squad and I can do everything I want to while I'm here."

Sheffield United, back in the Premiership this season, already have a distinct Asian flavour after buying a 90 percent share in Chinese B-league team Chengdu Five Bull.

The Yorkshire club moved to cement their relationship with the country this summer when they snapped up China midfielder Li Tie.

Li, whose time at Everton was disrupted by a broken leg, admitted he was relieved to have another chance in England.

He said: "Sheffield United were promoted after last season and it is a good opportunity for me to play in the Premiership again.

"I was talking with them a few weeks before my Everton contract expired. I knew I had to get a new work permit first, before signing a new deal.

"I was worried about that because I didn't play in the first team at Everton for two seasons."

Li's international team-mate Sun Jihai, who has played in England for six years over two spells, offers the perfect example for the region's footballers.

The former Crystal Palace defender rarely produces headline-grabbing performances, but his versatility and tenacity makes him a valuable asset to Manchester City boss Stuart Pearce.