Park Ji-sung at 45: Age, Man United No. 13 Shirt, and Reunion with 'Roommate' Son Heung-min in Santa Monica, LA

Son revealed that during their national team roommate days, he tried not to fall asleep before Park did. The two men, who met again in LA as Gillette models, are summed up in numbers: their ages, shirt numbers, and salaries.

Translated from Korean with AI assistance. Read the original. Sources and original publication dates are retained.

11 years. That is the age gap between Park Ji-sung (45) and Son Heung-min (34). On October 29, 2026, YTN reported on the two men's reunion in LA and an anecdote from their days as roommates on the national team. Son said he tried not to fall asleep before his senior teammate. Park's reaction suggested he was unaware of that consideration.

Two Gillette models reunite at Santa Monica Beach, LA

Per a YTN report, the two met at Santa Monica Beach in LA through their work as Gillette Korea models. The actual shoot date is not given in the article. LA is the home base of LAFC, where Son has played since August 2025.

Park became the first Korean chosen as a Gillette model in 2009, and Son followed in 2019. The roommate story centers on Son's recollection. Son said, "I tried not to fall asleep first." Asked whether he felt that consideration, Park replied, "No, I don't really know." It is unconfirmed which tournament they shared a room at.

Park Ji-sung, 45 years old, Man United No. 13 and QPR No. 7

Park was born on February 25, 1981, and as of October 30, 2026, he is 45 years old. This is based on his Premier League registered profile. Some wikis list March 30 as his birthday, but the age is the same whichever date is used. After Myongji University, he joined Kyoto Purple Sanga in 2000, then moved to PSV Eindhoven in 2003 and Manchester United in 2005. He wore No. 13 at Manchester United, and at QPR, which he joined in 2012, he wore No. 7.

Premier League official retrospectiveAccording to it, Park made134 league appearances for United and scored 27 goals across all competitions. He won four Premier League titles plus the 2007-08 season Champions League title, setting an Asian first. Park's retirement was announced at a press conference on May 14, 2014.

Son's salary $11.15 million, second in MLS guaranteed compensation

Top 5 annual guaranteed compensation, 2026 spring MLSPA (as of April 14, 2026)

Rank	Player	Club	Guaranteed compensation (USD)
1	Lionel Messi	Inter Miami	28,333,333
2	Son Heung-min	LAFC	11,152,852
3	Rodrigo De Paul	Inter Miami	9,688,320
4	Hirving Lozano	San Diego FC	9,333,333
5	Miguel Almirón	Atlanta United	7,871,000

MLS Players Association salary guideBased on it, Son's annual guaranteed compensation is $11,152,852 (as of April 14, 2026). This includes a base salary of $10,368,750. It is about $17.18 million less than first-place Messi, which means Messi's guaranteed compensation is 2.5 times Son's. The gap with third-place De Paul is about $1.46 million. However, since this data is from April 14 and was published on May 12, we cannot conclude that it reflects the rankings as of October.

Tottenham 173 goals vs Man United 27 goals: the two in numbers

Tottenham Hotspur announcementAccording to it, Son left after 454 competitive appearances and 173 goals before joining LAFC on August 6, 2025. At the time of the transfer, he was the club's fifth-highest scorer of all time. The Athletic and ESPN estimated the transfer fee at about $26.5 million. The two clubs did not disclose the amount. His contract runs through 2027, with extension options running into 2028 and to June 2029.

Comparing the two based only on goal totals is hard. Park was a midfielder who played both wide and central, while Son is a forward. They have other things in common: both were Gillette models, and they shared a room with the national team. Son took over the modeling spot that Park first held in 2009, and the two stood in front of the camera together again in LA.

Related official sites

Premier League official player record for Park Ji-sung — Check Park Ji-sung's Premier League match-by-match appearance record
MLS Players Association 2026 Spring Salary Guide — Original data on base salaries and guaranteed compensation of MLS players, including Son Heung-min (as of April 14, 2026)
Tottenham Hotspur Son Heung-min legend profile — Son Heung-min's records during his Tottenham years and the club's official assessment

Representative image · Archival photo · Not a photo from the current match described in the article · Photo=Wikimedia Commons (Magnus D), CC BY 2.0