Manchester United midfielder Park Ji-sung Sunday pledged to make the most out of his play during the upcoming Premier League season while avoiding chances of injury, as he left his homeland for England.
The 27-year-old South Korean arrived in his country in May, joining the national squad to help it advance to the final round of 2010 World Cup qualifiers and taking a break after he won the second title of his career in the ultra-competitive Premier League.
"I had a good rest," Yonhap News quoted Park as saying in an interview at Incheon International Airport. "Many chances will come along during the coming year. What's important is how I grab those chances," he said. "It's most important that I show all I can on the pitch."
Park, known for his tireless drive on the field, missed some of the Asian qualifying round for the World Cup due to fears of a relapse of his chronic knee injury, which kept him from playing much of last year's season in England.
"It's crucial that I spend the coming season without any injury," he was quoted as saying, adding he will undergo a medical test on his right knee as soon as he arrives in England. "Training will be scheduled according to the test result."
Manchester United is now in South Africa for a preseason workout ahead of next month's start of the 2008-2009 Premier League. Park joined the famed squad in 2005 after playing for Guus Hiddink's PSV Eindhoven in the Dutch league.