Park Ji-sung has his first practice with Queens Park Rangers at the Harlington Sports Ground in London, Tuesday. / Yonhap

By Kang Seung-woo

Queens Park Rangers’ new signing Park Ji-sung has been handed the number seven jersey, the London club announced Thursday.

According to the team’s official website, the Korean midfielder will wear the number, vacated by Adel Taarabt, who will take number 10 next season.

The 31-year-old joined Mark Hughes’ side on a two-year deal Monday, ending a seven-year spell at Manchester United where he won the 2008 Champions League and four Premier League titles. He wore 13 with the Red Devils.

The energetic former Korea international began his professional career wearing seven at Japan’s Kyoto Purple Sanga and kept the number at PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch league from 2002 to 2005.

Park, who played in the last three World Cup finals, was given the number seven shirt in the 2006 and 2010 editions.

Meanwhile, the veteran midfielder is in contention to wear the captain’s armband at Hoops.

“Ji (-sung) will come into my thinking in terms of a new captain for the club,” said manager Hughes, who stripped Joey Barton of the QPR captaincy for disciplinary reasons.

“I’ll have to see who steps up and who is a natural fit for it. I’m sure people will want the role and to show me they are the right for it and that includes Ji.”

Barton was suspended for 12 matches and fined six weeks wages as he was sent off for elbowing Carlos Tevez, kicking out at Sergio Aguero and trying to headbutt Vincent Kompany in the final league match of last season against Manchester City.