Any caps Marsden has merely camouflaged his most famous feature; his lack of hair. The Koreans may need to be reassured Marsden is 'only' 35. But the less hair he has had, the greater the financial and footballing rewards he has reaped for his longevity.
Images of the younger and more hirsute Marsden are rare. Save for a seven-game loan spell at Coventry City, he spent his twenties scurrying around the lower leagues.
Seeming the definition of Nationwide League journeyman, he played for Sheffield United, Huddersfield Town, Coventry, Wolverhampton Wanderers, Notts County, Stockport County and Birmingham City. Logically, he should be seeing out his playing days in the lower reaches of Division Three now.
But in February 1999, Dave Jones paid ?00,000 for Marsden as one cult figure - Carlton Palmer - made way for another. And for the past five years, Marsden has been scurrying around the Southampton midfield, ever more energetic than his appearance would suggest but without any pretensions to pace.
Scouting in the lower divisions rarely involves looking at 30-year-olds with spells at seven clubs. Jones, probably the only top-flight boss to even consider Marsden, had managed him at Stockport. But his three successors, Glenn Hoddle, Stuart Gray and Gordon Strachan, have all made Marsden a cornerstone of their midfield.
But a swift return to Division One beckoned when Marsden joined Southampton. Six wins in 14 games later, Saints stayed up while Blackburn, who spent ?0million on more renowned midfielders that season, went down instead.
A committed and distinctive figure, Marsden came to personify Southampton as the Matt Le Tissier era drew to a close. Affection for the resolutely unglamorous son of Sheffield manifested in nicknames like 'Marsdinho', 'the bald Beckenbauer' and 'Chris Marsden - Football Genius'; his team-mates preferred the more prosaic 'Mazzer'.
But on March 2, 2002, the bald Beckenbauer scored a goal that drew comparisons with Diego Maradona, Ryan Giggs and John Barnes. With Southampton 2-1 up at Ipswich, Marsden picked up the ball just inside the home side's half, beat two opponents and just kept on running. Between the two centre backs, round the goalkeeper and away in celebration after an unconvincing tap-in with his rarely-used right foot.
There have been few better goals in the Premiership and still fewer which have surprised the scorer more. It was also the result of an inspired change by Strachan as Marsden, a central midfielder his entire career, reinvented himself on the left wing.
Like success, his best position came late to Marsden. At an age when other left-footers like Barnes and Gary Speed were leaving the flank for a more sedate role in the centre of midfield, Marsden made the opposite journey.
He succeeded by recognising his limitations. Wayne Bridge, quicker, more skillful and a better crosser, did much of the winger's work while Marsden covered for him and came infield to make a third central midfielder.
And at 34, Chris Marsden suddenly became one of the most acclaimed footballers in the country. Terry Venables nominated him as one of the players of the season as Southampton reached the FA Cup final and Marsden, vice-captain and the most prominent of Saints' odd brigade, got much of the credit.
There were even fanciful suggestions that, were Marsden 10 years younger, he could be the answer to England's problems on the left flank. They were utterly unrealistic, of course, but Marsden was an antidote to more talented but wasteful players; indeed, much of Marsden's popularity stems from what he is not. Still, 'Beckham, Scholes, Gerrard and Marsden' has a certain ring to it.
Sven-Goran Eriksson - the spoilsport - disagreed but the recognition Marsden received actually came 12 months too late; his best season was 2001-2 when he won Southampton's Player of the Year award. Nonetheless, Saints' FA Cup run had another Marsden moment, an impressively unathletic overhead kick to beat Wolves in the quarter-finals.
Arsenal headed for a third successive final, but for Southampton and Marsden, this was a one-off. Rested for two games to prevent him picking up the booking which would have forced him to miss a first FA Cup semi-final, Marsden was promptly booked and missed two further Premiership matches.
Not since Brian Kilcline in 1987 has such an odd figure led a team out in the FA Cup final. Jason Dodd, but for injury, would have captained Saints but Marsden's unlikely road to Cardiff brought a groundswell of support from his former clubs. Huddersfield and Notts County were in administration, but their players could dream of being the next Chris Marsden.
But the FA Cup's bond with the underdog has been broken. Marsden and Southampton lost. A frustrating first half of this season suggested that, after a long pursuit, age is finally catching up with him.
But when Saints visit Old Trafford on Saturday, there should be one member of the Manchester United side pleased he won't be facing Marsden. Up against World Cup winner Kleberson in August - were you watching, Sven? - substitute Marsden dictated the tempo of the game in the final half-hour with intelligent passing as Southampton won 1-0.
So chants of 'Marsden for England' won't be heard at St Mary's any more (though he could be eligible for South Korea just after his 40th birthday). A grumpy old bald man, in the words of his manager, the Premiership will miss Chris Marsden - and that's the bald truth.
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