Park targets return

Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-Sung has confirmed he hopes to be back in action early next year.



The South Korean underwent surgery on a knee injury last season and has spent the summer recuperating. He has watched manager Sir Alex Ferguson sign the likes of Owen Hargreaves, Nani, Carlos Tevez and Anderson, and believes all will be good signings.

"I'm confident that we can retain the Premiership title this season," he said. "We've got a good squad and the manager has brought some good players into the team to improve it even further. The new signings have all impressed me in different ways.

"Nani is very quick, Owen works hard and Carlos [Tevez] has great vision. Anderson hasn't played much, but I am looking forward to seeing more of him. Hopefully, I'll be playing again early in the New Year. My knee is getting better; it's a case of so far, so good."

young players

Korea is currently hosting the FIFA U-17 World Cup. However, Park believes young players in England have a strong advantage over their Asian counterparts because of training conditions.

"The facilities for young players are better in Europe than in Korea," he said. "Here, they play on grass, whereas back home they play on hard surfaces or artificial turf. Generally, young professionals in the Netherlands and England belong to a club which has great facilities in order for them to develop their talent. In Korea they only play for their school and are not part of a club.

"Football in Asia is improving, but it will take time to reach European standards. For me, it's important for Asian players to come to Europe's top-level teams to learn how to play. But if I could give one piece of advice for the young players in Korea, it would be: enjoy playing the game and don't give up on your goals."