It's fair to say Ki Sung-Yueng hasn't exactly taken to football in Wales since his arrival at Swansea back in 2012. However, the 25-year-old has shown his capability during a loan spell at Sunderland and more recently, the World Cup.
The former Celtic man is now looking to finally push on at the Liberty Stadium after one-year into the abyss. The South Korean International was frozen out of the starting XI under Michael Laudrup and was subsequently loaned out to Sunderland after falling behind Jose Canas and Jonjo Shelvey in the pecking order. Talking about his tenure under the Danish manager, Ki stated "I expected that my second season would be better than the first, but suddenly he [Laudrup] brought in some players and he didn't give me the opportunity to play."
Gary Monk will take solace in his player's performance at Old Trafford. The 2-1 victory stands the Swans in good stead for their upcoming Premier League campaign. Following Ki's opener, Wayne Rooney managed to pull things level before Gylfi Sigurðsson sealed a valuable win.
The midfielder ordinarily plays in that holding role, the anchor of the team. He was his county's strongest performer in Brazil, partaking in all three games and even notched up a 96% pass completion rate against Russia. With Louis Van Gaal implementing a system that includes five in the middle, keeping tabs on Juan Mata proved difficult for the more defensive minded Swansea players. Further fixtures with sides that are likely to be neighbouring the Welsh giants in the table come May could prove to be vital and Ki will be an integral part in keeping their starlets quiet.
Not only did he, who is treated like a celebrity in his native South Korea, display his defensive qualities but also impressed in an attacking sense. Scoring the opening goal of the 2014/15 season with a neat finish past David De Gea, Ki looked to bomb forward whenever possible. Gaining criticism for "only passing sideways" he showcased an ability to pick out a throughball capable of unlocking the opposition's back line.
Aston Villa and Sunderland were both interested in bringing Ki Sung-Yueng to their respective clubs this summer but following assurances of first team football, their target decided to extend his stay across the border. Saturday's goal, his fifth in English football, could flood him with the confidence he needs to make a real impression in the Premier League this time around. Newly promoted Burnely await Swansea as they look to continue their stunning start to the season and you can be sure that their midfield-maestro will play a big part in it.