Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-Sung is determined to
stay fit this season and help the Red Devils "win as many trophies
as possible."
The South Korean star was restricted to a place on the bench on
Friday as United defeated K-League outfit FC Seoul 4-0 in the
second game of their Far East tour.
Park was desperate to be involved but knows he will be sidelined
until January after suffering cruciate ligament damage at the end
of last season.
So, while the 25-year-old realises his presence at Old Trafford is
one of the major factors in United's phenomenal popularity in
Korea, he wants to make more of an impact in the chase for
honours.
"I wasn't able to do as much for the team as I would have liked
last season because of injuries," he told United's website.
"This time when I'm back from injury I hope to stay fit and play
more games.
"I hope the team can be successful again - we won the title but
weren't able to win the Champions League and the FA Cup so I'd like
to win them. Really, I just want to win as many trophies as
possible."
Park's presence on the United bench on Friday was greeted with
unbridled enthusiasm from a 64,000 crowd, whose devotion to the Red
Devils cause appears to be on a par with any supporter hailing from
Stretford or Salford.
All the goals, from Cristiano Ronaldo, Chris Eagles, Wayne Rooney
and Patrice Evra, brought massive cheers from all corners of the
stadium, further enhancing the reputation of Korean fans.
A veteran of five Far East visits in his two-decade stint as United
boss, this was nevertheless Sir Alex Ferguson's first visit to
Seoul.
Yet he assured a country which boasts an incredible 750,000 United
visa card holders, the Red Devils will be back.
"This is Manchester United's first visit to Korea - and I am sure
we will be coming back," he said.
"The reception we have received here has been absolutely excellent.
Everything about the trip has been first class.
"I used to think when we went to Thailand it was almost impossible
because we had thousands inside and outside the hotel all night. We
have experienced the same thing here.
"It doesn't surprise me. It is just one of these phenomenons we can
create in certain parts of the world."
It is a phenomenon that has no chance of abating as long as Park
remains a United player. The departure of the team bus an hour
after the final whistle was greeted with the kind of noise which
used to be reserved for Beatles concerts.
The reaction may present United's commercial team with a problem
given the club had earmarked the United States as a destination for
their next major, non-tournament-year tour.
While chasing the American dollar has its attractions, even with
David Beckham now based in Los Angeles, it is difficult to see how
any football club can make as deep an impact on the US-sports
psyche as United have on the affluent Asian market.
"We consider ourselves a major global brand," said Ferguson.
"The club is prepared to travel anywhere to promote its image and
the game.
"Even North Korea would not be a problem for us, should the right
conditions apply.
"I understand from a survey that was carried out recently that we
have an enormous number of fans in Vietnam, so maybe that is
somewhere that we might look to visit in the future.
"It just seems like the whole of the Far East has a lot of respect
and affection for our club and we have to serve that as best we
can."
