01.02.2015 02:00 h

Top five Asian Cup players

Sandwich
Sandwich

Five stand-out players at the Asian Cup:

Tim Cahill (Australia)

- Cahill was the heartbeat of Australia's drive towards their first Asian Cup title, scoring three goals, including a contender for goal of the tournament with a spectacular overhead volley against China in the semi-finals. The 35-year-old, who kickstarted the Socceroos after they conceded a shock early goal in their opener against Kuwait with a superb header to equaliser, has refused to be drawn on his future. However, speculation that he would retire from international football after the Asian Cup, has led to much hand-wringing about "life after Cahill".

Massimo Luongo (Australia)

- Socceroos coach Ange Postecoglou has been rebuilding after the disbanding of Australia's "golden generation" and Luongo has shown the future is in safe hands after being voted the Asian Cup's player of the tournament. The 22-year-old was a surprise starter for the opening game against Kuwait but the Aussie boss said he was "impossible" to drop after the Swindon Town player scored in the 2-1 win over South Korea in the final. He had already repaid Postecoglou's faith with a sparkling performance against Kuwait capped by his first international goal and the changing of the guard has been clear for all to see.

Omar Abdulrahman (UAE)

- Immediately recognisable by his mop of curly hair, Abdulrahman's silky football caught the eye as the UAE finished third in the tournament. The 23-year-old has been the provider for the bulk of sharp-shooter Ali Mabkhout's tally of five goals, including a sublime ball to the striker's feet when he scored after just 14 seconds against Bahrain, the Asian Cup's fastest recorded goal. He scored with an outrageous chipped "panenka" penalty as the Emirates stunned holders Japan on a penalty shootout in the quarter-finals, and it is easy to see why he has been linked to several European suitors, among them Manchester City.

- Ki Sung-Yueng (South Korea)

Appointed captain by coach Uli Stielike after South Korea's World Cup flop last year, Ki was a hugely calming influence on a side plagued by injury problems at the Asian Cup, providing a shield for the back four as the Koreans reached the final without conceding a goal. The Swansea City midfielder, one of several South Korea players to grace Europe's top leagues, set up Son Heung-Min for South Korea's dramatic injury-time equaliser in the final, and was a shoulder to cry on for several of his team mates after their extra-time heartbreak.

- Son Heung-Min (South Korea)

A celebrity pin-up in South Korea whose trendy hairstyles and romances with pop singers are splashed across gossip pages in his home country, Son possesses the quality to back up the hype.

The mercurial Bayer Leverkusen forward also has a steely edge to his game, shaking off a flu bug which had sapped him of energy to score an extra-time double in the team's quarter-final win over Uzbekistan.

His superb late equaliser in the final underlined his ability to ghost past players and finish with precision, but was left devastated at the final whistle, slumping to the turf in tears.