Much-maligned striker Park Chu-young is back on the national team for an upcoming World Cup tune-up match against Greece.

Korea head coach Hong Myung-bo unveiled his 23-man roster Wednesday for the away match against Greece on March 5. Park will don the South Korean shirt for the first time since February last year.

For the past year or so, the forward had remained on the outside looking in as Korea played a series of matches in the buildup to the World Cup in Brazil this summer. He had mostly been confined to the bench on the Premier League club Arsenal in the past three seasons, unable to get out of coach Arsene Wenger’s doghouse.

Park was recently loaned to a second division English side, Watford, where he will likely get more action.

Though he has missed the last four games for Watford, while reportedly dealing with a knee injury, Park has now been given a new life with the national team.

“I agonized over this decision,” Hong said.

“I spoke to him on the phone a few times. Though he’s not playing at the moment, I figured he is still in decent form.”

Park has scored 23 goals in 61 international matches. (Yonhap)