Ji-sung Park Birthday Episode
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Thursday 23 July (all times are local, 8 hours ahead of UK)
00:19 – By the way, if you're in the UK make sure you tune into MUTV at 18:30 and keep an eye out for an interview Stewart Gardner did with Wes Brown by the pool in Kuala Lumpur... let's just say the other lads didn't make it easy for poor Wes!
Wednesday 22 July
23:40 – I've just popped downstairs quickly to have a (Korean) beer with journalists Kim Dong-Hwan and Yumiko Yasugi. Kim was based in Manchester last season to follow Ji-sung Park's progress for www.manutd.kr and became a big favourite in our office, while Yumiko edits the www.manutd.jp site and also makes the occasional trip to OT. Kim's local knowledge will be invaluable here in Seoul - he's already planning to take me out for some Korean delicacies one evening!
That's about it from me tonight. Today was a long day - a seven-hour flight with a 90-minute transfer to our hotel - so there wasn't an awful lot to report. Tomorrow's a different story: the team are training at the World Cup Stadium in the morning, then there's a press conference at lunchtime and then some charity/commercial activity in the afternoon. So keep checking back regularly on Thursday for plenty of updates!
21:30 – Hello from Seoul. We've just arrived at our hotel in the centre of the city. It took a while to get here, mind you: Seoul is huge! Apparently there are more than 10million residents here.
We were given a great welcome at the airport from the masses of fans holding banners and waving scarves (there was even somebody with a Newcastle shirt there for Michael Owen!). A similar scene awaited us when we got to the hotel - the lobby was jam-packed with supporters desperate to see the boys.
The flight from Kuala Lumpur was non-eventful. In fact, we were so desperate for conversation we ended up having a 10-minute chat about how we tie our ties (complete with demonstrations). Very rock'n'roll. -
Park Ji-sung is bracing himself for an ear-splitting welcome to Seoul in Manchester United colours on Friday night.
Two years ago, Park was meant to be playing for the Red Devils against FC Seoul but was ruled out after undergoing major knee surgery that kept him out of action for almost an entire season.
Yet such is the fervour Koreans reserve for their national skipper that they still voted him man of the match!
The 28-year-old's presence will also be limited at the same stadium on Friday.
This time though, it is because a summer break extended due to his international commitments, means Park is well short of the fitness required to play a major role in by far the most arduous game United will have on the four-match Far East leg of their pre-season work.
Ferguson has pledged to give Park some time on the pitch though.
And when he does emerge, Asia's player of the year can expect a reaction equal to anything David Beckham had been used to before his out-of-character confrontation with LA Galaxy fans earlier this week.
"When a local lad like Ji-sung has left his country to play for Manchester United - and not just play but excel at the very highest level - then it's obvious he will receive adulation in his home country," said Ferguson.
"In addition, he has been a star of his national team for some years now.
"Korea is a football nation. so the reaction when he comes back is understandable."
Park is about to enter the last year of his contract too.
While it may be incorrect to state the only reason he is at Old Trafford is because of the extraordinary interest in United he can generate in South Korea, the vast number of Red Devils' credit cards in use there cannot be overlooked either.
"When we signed Park Ji-sung it was for footballing reasons," reflected chief executive David Gill.
"But, without a doubt, it has had an impact on our commercial activity in South Korea.
"We have one million credit and debit cards here, which is phenomenal and the enthusiasm of the fans is second to none.
"We are looking to extend Park's contract because Alex is very happy with him but there is no timing on it."
Park's presence should help ease the blow of not having Cristiano Ronaldo to cheer, as the Korean fans had in their capital on United's first visit two years ago, when he scored the first of what turned out to be four unanswered goals.
Few are critical of United's decision to offload the 24-year-old for a world record £80million.
However, his departure is not going to be merely glossed over.
Ferguson knows he will have to adjust his team. And he is aware the Koreans will miss him.
"The most significant difference this time is that there's no Cristiano Ronaldo and the fans will miss him," said Ferguson.
"But we are still at a very high standard and hopefully this season we will continue that way.
"There is a great desire for us to maintain the high standard of success Manchester United deserves."
Given his own past record, it is unlikely Ferguson will settle for anything less.
At 67, the Scot remains as driven as he was the day he walked through the doors at Old Trafford to replace Ron Atkinson.
The game has changed immeasurably over the intervening 23 years, although there is still one aspect of it Ferguson could do without.
"What has kept me going? Not the press conferences that's for sure," said Ferguson at the end of an interminably long one which, at the appropriate stages required translation from Turkish to Korean when FC Seoul coach Senol Gunes spoke, then from Korean into English for the benefit of foreign journalists who were present.
"I suppose I am at the right club," he added.
"It is a fantastic club to be at; great fans, great players. It makes it much easier for me to continue as long as I have.
"I have been blessed with good energy and good health, which is what you need at Manchester United because this club needs to be successful all the time."
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Ji-sung Park relished the experience of representing the Reds in his home city of Seoul as he helped United secure a 3-2 victory.
The winger is something of a national hero in Korea and his introduction to proceedings in the 74th minute produced the loudest cheer of the day.
It was Park's first pre-season outing after he was given extra time off to recover from his country's World Cup qualifiers which took place late into June. And the man himself was delighted to kick-start his preparations for the new campaign in familiar surroundings.
"Two years ago [during United's 2007 Asia Tour] I was injured and wasn’t able to play and I regretted that. This time I’m very satisfied to have played a part and I think it was a good game," he said at a post-match press conference.
"My physical condition is still not at 100 per cent and I know I have to improve my performance. But this was a good match to be involved in and it was also a great opportunity for the fans to see all the world-class players in the United squad.
"I was in awe at all the chanting and shouting from the crowd. It’s an honour to have grown into a player that so many fans look at as a role model. My team-mates were joking with me, asking if I was the King of Korea!
"I feel very honoured and satisfied about the turn of events today." -
Ji-sung Park Birthday Episode
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Gay interview by Patrice to Park..