Meet Manchester United's new WAG- Ameri Ichinose aka Shinji Kagawa's pornstar girlfriend;):p.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/sport/footba...-ameri-1136810

Ji-sung Park signs for QPR

South Korean midfielder Ji-sung Park has signed for Queens Park Rangers on a two-year deal.


:(. Good luck to Park Ji Sung at his new club and thanks to the service he gave to United. He is such an underrated player.

Ji-sung Park signs for QPR

South Korean midfielder Ji-sung Park has signed for Queens Park Rangers on a two-year deal.

The 31-year-old spent seven years at Manchester United following his arrival from PSV Eindhoven in 2005 and enjoyed numerous highlights during a trophy-laden Reds career.

Park, who played 205 times for United, will play his football this season alongside a couple of familiar faces. Fabio da Silva is already at Loftus Road on a season-long loan, while the Hoops are managed by Reds legend Mark Hughes.

Sir Alex Ferguson described Ji as "the ultimate professional" and will no doubt be wary of Park's presence when QPR visit Old Trafford in late November.

“He's been a fantastic servant to the club over the past seven years," the manager told ManUtd.com. "He is the ultimate professional and such a nice lad; he never let us down on the big occasions. Unfortunately, I just couldn’t give him the number of games he wanted.

"Everyone at Manchester United wishes him well for the future and I am sure he will be a great success at QPR.”

Always a fans' favourite, Park's tireless devotion to the cause and ability to rise to the occasion should ensure his enduring popularity among United fans. A true "big-game player", the Korean tended to reserve his greatest performances for matches against the likes of Arsenal, Chelsea and Liverpool and famously shackled Euro 2012 star Andrea Pirlo when AC Milan came to town in 2010.

Rio sad to see Ji leave

Rio Ferdinand says he is sad to see Ji-sung Park leave Old Trafford after the Korean joined QPR on a two-year deal.

Ferdinand labelled Park "a real players' player" in recognition of seven years service for the Reds which saw him make 205 appearances and net 27 goals.

Always the player for the big occasion, Park helped United to four league titles, a Club World Cup and three League Cups and Ferdinand insists the winger will be missed at Old Trafford.

"Ji's a fantastic player and a real players' player," Rio told ManUtd.com. "He's been greatly appreciated by the other lads and the fans of our club over the years. He's been a great servant and never been any trouble. He's just a real selfless player who has always played for his team-mates and he was part of a very successful period for the club.

"I'm sad to see him go because he's a really good lad as well - after three or four years he really came out of his shell and was one of the lads, making a lot of jokes. As I said I'm sad to see him go as he's a really nice guy."

Ferdinand picked out Park's man-marking job on Andrea Pirlo in United's first-ever competitive win over AC Milan at the San Siro in February 2010 as one of the major highlights of the Korean's United career. And the defender admits he is not relishing coming up against his former team-mate when the Reds meet QPR in the coming season.

"We'll have to try and get in his hotel room the night before we play them and make sure he doesn't sleep so he's not running around against us at a hundred miles an hour for the whole game!" joked Rio.

"He's always been great for us and one his greatest nights was probably against AC Milan when he did an unbelievable manmarking job on Pirlo. Everyone was talking about how well he played in the dressing room afterwards and how he nullified the threat of Pirlo.

"Ji is just a great player who is really appreciated by everyone in the squad."

Tom Cleverley interview:).

http://www1.skysports.com/football/n...rley-exclusive

Rio Ferdinand‏@rioferdy5

Wishing Park ji Sung good luck at QPR. Great player for man utd, selfless + real team player. Funny guy too. Pat will be lost!!

Scholes' sorrow for Beckham

Paul Scholes is pleased Ryan Giggs will captain Team GB at the Olympics - but disappointed that another pal David Beckham has been excluded.

British coach Stuart Pearce selected Giggs and Tom Cleverley in his squad for this summer's tournament but caused a major stir by leaving out ex-Reds midfielder Beckham, despite including the LA Galaxy superstar in his original plans.

"From speaking to Ryan, I can tell he’s looking forward to it," explained Scholes to MUTV. "I hope they do well. I don’t see any reason why they won’t do as they’ve got a very good squad. Obviously there are other squads in it who want to win the gold medal but I’m sure Ryan will lead the team well and hopefully they’ll go a long way in the tournament.

"Ryan's been unfortunate as Wales didn't manage to qualify [for a World Cup or European Championship] whilst he was playing for them. So it’s a good chance for him to play in a big tournament. I just hope they can do well and go all the way and win it."

Another of Scholes' Class of '92 team-mates had also been expected to parade his talents in the competition but Beckham missed the cut when the 18-man squad was announced.

"It's a shame about Becks," said Scholes. "It's surprising as well, after everything David did to help London get the Olympics. That's Stuart Pearce's decision, but I feel sorry for David as I'm sure he'd have loved to have played in it."

Park's parting words

In an emotional sign-off to his Manchester United career, Ji-sung Park admits he'll never forget his seven years at Old Trafford.

Park joined the Reds from PSV Eindhoven in 2005, played 205 times and collected eight major honours, including four league titles and the FIFA Club World Cup.

"My time at United will last in my heart for the rest of my life," he told ManUtd.com.

"It’s been a great privilege to be part of such a great team, to have won so much and to have played with special teammates and for the greatest manager in the game.

"I would like to thank everybody at the club who give their best every single day to put every player in the best condition to enjoy their football and achieve success."

Park was a firm fans' favourite at Old Trafford and his name was often sung loudly by United supporters, even when he wasn't on the pitch.

“The fans have been fantastic to me and I will always remember them with great affection," he said. "Now, I’m looking forward to giving everything for a new challenge at QPR, where I will bring all my ambition and spirit I have gathered at United. [Those qualities] will be with me forever."

I will so miss Park at United:(. Hope he does well at QPR, bargain for them!

Kiko keen to make mark

Federico Macheda can’t wait for the new season to start, a campaign he admits could be pivotal in his Manchester United career.

Macheda burst onto the scene as a 17-year-old in April 2009 with a stunning injury-time winner against Aston Villa on his senior debut. But the past three seasons have yielded just 12 starts in a United shirt, a handful of injuries and frustrating loan spells at Sampdoria and Queens Park Rangers.

Last term’s stint at Loftus Road started well enough – Kiko featured six times in a month – but a niggling ankle injury ended his season and eventually required surgery.

He’s not played competitive football since 2 February, which is why mention of United’s pre-season tour to South Africa, China and Europe draws a big smile from the 20-year-old.

“I’m really looking forward to it,” he told ManUtd.com. “It’s always great to visit fans in different countries. You meet new people, you see new cities, you experience different cultures.

“I didn’t know how big the club was around the world when I went away for the first time in 2009. But I was very impressed by Malaysia, China and Korea. We have great support all over the world and I love being part of this team.

“It’s great to be back at Manchester United. When you go on loan you really understand how important it is to play for this club. I’m really happy to be back and I can’t wait for the start of the season.

“Last season was disappointing. In the first six months I didn’t get a lot of opportunities here so we decided it was best for me to go on loan.

“When I got to QPR things went a bit wrong, though, as I was feeling my ankle a lot. But now I feel a lot better and want to start the season well. It’s a big season for me.”

Kagawa's perfect stage

A star of Asian football and conqueror of the Bundesliga, Shinji Kagawa is ready to explode onto the English game.

In the parks of Kobe in Japan, a young Shinji Kagawa dreamed of playing on the biggest footballing stage even as he was kicking at an improvised goal between two tree stumps.

Having migrated from the Japanese second division to the Theatre of Dreams via Borussia Dortmund, his yearning for a platform commensurate with his talents is fulfilled. And believe us when we tell you: they are some talents.

Kagawa arrived in Europe completely unheralded, plucked from Cerezo Osaka (who he joined at 17 as the first Japanese schoolboy to turn professional) for the unfeasibly modest sum of €350,000. He landed in Dortmund, a bustling town in the dense and industrial Ruhrland, 5,722 miles from home.

The first time he visited the city with his parents, he complained not of culture shock but of "cold shock": in Borussia’s stadium, as he watched his future team in action, it was -14ºC. But the heaving Sudtribüne and vibrancy of Jürgen Klopp’s young team convinced him it was the destination for him, at least in the short term.

Once settled, Kagawa endeared himself in record time to the Dortmund faithful: his fourth league match for the club was at the home of arch-rivals Schalke 04 in what is dubbed in Germany “Die Mutter aller Derbies” – the mother of all derbies. In a glittering performance, he demonstrated so much of what his game is about, scoring twice in a 3-1 win.

Both goals were scored almost nonchalantly with his weaker left foot – and saw him hauled up on the away fans’ shoulders at the end of the match, a moment Kagawa says he will never forget.

For Freddie Röckenhaus, journalist, filmmaker and authority on all things Dortmund, it was also an unforgettable performance. For him, though, Kagawa’s contribution goes much further: for two seasons, barring a frustrating spell on the sidelines in the second half of the 2010/11 season when he returned from winning the Asian Cup with a broken metatarsal, Kagawa has been a crucial part of Dortmund’s demanding, collective, high-pressing game.

“He’s not a playmaker,” says Röckenhaus. “He’s a link player who plays more like a second striker and that’s where he has been at his best for Dortmund. He has a very high work rate, is a willing runner and is extraordinarily creative.”

Kagawa models himself on Andres Iniesta, and it shows. Although his preferred role is behind the striker in an attacking three, he can also play on the left as he has done previously for Japan. Like Iniesta, he boasts speed of thought, sumptuous close control and exquisite vision.

“Shinji is a very technical player with great skills,” says his national team coach Alberto Zaccheroni. Like an Iniesta, so good on the ball even when smothered by defenders, Kagawa’s best quality is his "rapidity,” according to Zaccheroni. “By that, I mean his ‘operating speed’ in difficult situations.”

It is a style that brought Kagawa 13 league goals last term and eight the previous injury-interrupted season (not to mention two Bundesliga titles and a German Cup). He is a supplier, too, always looking to thread a short pass through the defence. And, as both Sir Alex Ferguson and Mike Phelan will have noted when they travelled to Berlin to watch him play a pivotal role in destroying Bayern Munich 5-2 in the cup final, his longer passing is spectacular, too.

When Dortmund poured forward on the counter, it was Kagawa who often led the charge, carrying the ball to the centre circle before slipping probing passes through a scattered opposition backline. He constantly skipped through Bayern's midfield on the break and bisected their defence with incisive passes. The thought of him supplying such a willing runner as, say, Danny Welbeck in the same manner no doubt gave Ferguson pause for thought.

If he does have a weakness, it can be for over-elaboration, suggests Röckenhaus. “He sometimes doesn’t shoot early enough, doesn’t release the ball quick enough. There are moments when the shot is on, but still he looks for the cut-back.”

It is a small blot on his copybook and one few managers are as good at rectifying as Ferguson, who has previously coaxed better decision-making from his most skilful recruits. Kagawa, for his part, is a willing student: “Sir Alex Ferguson has consistently told me to trust him,” he says. “When such a legendary figure says that, it carries a lot of weight.”

Kagawa’s desire to push himself is clear, along with his hunger for trophies. In that, he will find sympathetic comrades in Manchester, and his biggest challenge to date. He is abundantly ready for it.

Sir Alex Ferguson with Shinji Kagawa and Nick Powell at the press conference to unveil them:).

http://i.imgur.com/nLhzz.jpg

Video: Sir Alex unveils his new signings Shinji Kagawa & Nick Powell in a press conference at Old Trafford - http://youtu.be/cMKKsgj2wiY

Sir Alex Ferguson says there could be one or two more players following Shinji Kagawa and Nick Powell into Manchester United this summer.

Speaking at an Old Trafford press conference to unveil the pair of new signings, the United manager admitted: "We could possibly bring one or two more in. When there's a major international tournament on there's a delay in the transfer market. But now the European Championships are over we're trying to bring someone in.

"We've always done well in terms of getting players at the end of season, instead of waiting all summer. In Kagawa's case, there was a fair bit of negotiating and that kept going for weeks. As for Powell, we knew Dario Gradi [Crewe Alexandra director of football] would help us do the deal quickly."

Sir Alex discussed Powell's best position with Gradi, having seen him operate mainly as a deep-lying forward for Crewe. "I asked Dario if Nick could be a central midfielder. Dario thinks that's his position and Nick does too so we're all in accord. We hope he'll be a central midfield player and that's where we'll develop him."

As for Kagawa's role, the boss said: "He'll play further forward [than Powell]. We shouldn't be looking at one player changing the way we play but he could make a difference. He can give us that extra in the final third of the field. If his goalscoring record continues he could be a very good player for us."

Kagawa was Borussia Dortmund's second highest scorer last season, and after acclimatising himself to European football with two successful campaigns in Germany, the Japanese international is poised to pick up the English game very quickly.

"Shinji's coming to South Africa with us and then to China so I think you'll be seeing him pretty soon," said Sir Alex, looking ahead to Monday's start of the DHL pre-season tour.

"Once he's adapted and gets to know some football phrases our players will use, he'll be used to that. He can start the first league game quite easily. I've got no problem with that."

Powell may have to bide his time for a competitive debut but he too will be on the pre-season tour.

"I think in Nick's case, he's got a bit of physical development to do, just as we would expect of an 18-year-old. But he'll be in the first-team squad and train with us every day."

The England youth international could still make an early impact, however, in keeping with the proud traditions of Manchester United.

"Football throws up opportunities for young players and we play young players all the time," Sir Alex said.

Shinji relishes Reds challenge

Shinji Kagawa is confident he can rise to what he describes as 'the greatest challenge' of his career, after joining United.

The attacking midfielder has made a meteoric rise to prominence, having won back-to-back Bundesliga titles with Borussia Dortmund after previously featuring in the second tier of Japanese football, and he is keen to continue the upward trend of his career to date.

"I'm happy to be here and every day I'll take the chance to improve myself and move further up," he told the world's press at his Old Trafford unveiling. "It's definitely the greatest challenge of my career and I hope to learn and improve every day.

"I've always said I have to improve my playing qualities; now I've been here a bit I can really feel the difference. It's a top level club and environment, and when the other internationals join us it will be even better.

"I definitely feel the attention of the media globally now. I'm a member of a great club at Manchester United. I think I can handle the pressure and am pretty confident I can adapt to the style of the Premier League.

"Everything here shows me it's a really big club and it's a great honour to play here. I want to really contribute by achieving concrete results."

The versatile playmaker, who also confirmed his preference for playing in a central attacking role, admitted that he is keen to quickly learn English in order to hasten his assimilation to life at his new club.

"Language is very important to me," he said. "I'm very motivated to learn English; I hope I can learn it quickly so I can communicate with my team mates very soon."

Sir Alex Ferguson feels United's upcoming DHL Tour will provide the newcomer with the perfect setting to help him adapt to his new team-mates.

"He's got an opportunity to get to know the players on tour and acclimatise to the way we are," said the United manager. "Also there's the issue of the language. I'm sure he will improve his English - or Scottish - over next few months, whichever he finds easier. He won't understand my Scottish when I lose my temper anyway!

"I think there's a progress there and a procedure which he has to adapt to in terms of the language. I think he'll find the English language will be easier than the German, and he speaks a little German."

Powell eyes development

Nick Powell is relishing the opportunity to develop at Old Trafford.

The summer recruit from Crewe will be training with the first-team squad and bidding to earn a place in Sir Alex's central midfield.

Although facing the media glare with United is something that is new to the teenager, he took his first press conference as a Red in his stride.

"At Crewe, it was one camera and one person," he stated. "At United, it's the whole world.

"At Carrington, even with the building work around it, it is a complete change from Crewe. I thought Crewe's facilities were respectable but, to see this, it's a completely different world for me."

Sir Alex feels the player, at 18, still has some physical development to undertake but pledged that the youngster will train with the first-team squad every day.

"I've still got a lot to develop," added Powell. "I'm not near my best yet.

"I'm hoping to achieve what people expect me to achieve. I want to show I am a Manchester United player and show what I can do."

Who can you see united signing?

I reckon we will get another striker

Scholes
Carrick
Anderson
Giggs
Powell
Kagawa
Cleverly
Nani

Too many midfielders

Rooney
Welbeck
Chicarito
Kiko

Need another striker

Scholes
Carrick
Anderson
Giggs
Powell
Kagawa
Cleverly
Nani

Too many midfielders

Rooney
Welbeck
Chicarito
Kiko

Need another striker

Valencia

Man Utd's Darren Fletcher faces 'great challenge' to play again
Sir Alex Ferguson says Manchester United midfielder Darren Fletcher will be given another role at the club if he cannot make a comeback from a chronic bowel complaint.

Fletcher has been out of first team action since November with ulcerative colitis, but had been hoping to make his return at pre-season training.

"He has obviously got great challenges ahead," said manager Ferguson.

"If it doesn't work for him, he knows he has a position at the club anyway."

Fletcher, 28, has been missing from the United first team since scoring in the 2-2 Champions League draw at home to Benfica on 22 November.

Ferguson said the club would provide the Scotland international, who signed a four-year extension with United in March 2011, with "all the time he needs".

"We are happy to be patient but he won't be starting the season," he added. "It is unfortunate because he is such a magnificent professional and such a nice lad."

Ferguson was speaking at a news conference to introduce his two summer signings, England Under-18 international Nick Powell and Shinji Kagawa, who has signed from German Double-winners Borussia Dortmund.

And the United manager is keen to add one more new face to his squad before the start of the season.

"There will possibly be one more," he said. "We have always done well in terms of getting players in at the end of the season. That is the right time.

"But always in a European Championship or World Cup year, there is a delay in the transfer industry.

"That is over now and we are still trying to get one more in."

Kagawa is expected to make his United debut on the club's pre-season tour to South Africa later this month.

The Japan midfielder, 23, is confident he can prove a shrewd signing after winning back-to-back titles with Borussia Dortmund.

Kagawa is embarking on English language lessons to help him settle into his new surroundings.

"Language is very important to me," he said through an interpreter. "I'm very motivated to learn English. I hope I can learn it quickly so I can communicate with my team-mates very soon.

"Joining United is definitely the greatest challenge of my career and I hope to learn and improve every day."

Teenager Powell, who joined from Crewe, has being training with United's first team.

"I went straight into working with the first team on some possession work - although I got nutmegged on my first day," said the 18-year-old.

"It was much more relaxed at Crewe and you felt in a comfort zone there, but now I'm here I know I have to work hard every day and be at my best.

"Having that challenge will only help me progress."


Get well soon Fletcher, so gutted:(.

Greatest challenge of his career ar 23

Cofie links up with Blades

Young striker John Cofie has joined Sheffield United on a season-long loan.

The 19-year-old, who enjoyed a loan spell at Royal Antwerp in Beligum last term, will look to gain further experience at League One level.

The Blades were desperately unlucky to miss out on promotion after being overtaken by fierce rivals Wednesday during the run-in and then losing the Play-Off final in a dramatic penalty shoot-out.

Danny Wilson won the battle for Cofie's signature and he will look to help fire the Blades towards the top of the table.

The former Burnley youngster came off the bench against the South Yorkshire side in both legs of the 2011 FA Youth Cup final.

Scholes vexed by delayed kick-off

Paul Scholes admits he will be itching to get the season underway come 20 August.

The Reds will have to wait until Monday night to kick off the 2012/13 campaign due to the difficult trip to Everton being rearranged for live television coverage.

With the other 18 Barclays Premier League teams in action over the weekend, the midfield veteran will be champing at the bit - even if he appreciates there is plenty of pre-season fitness work to be done before then.

"It's happened in the past sometimes," Scholes told MUTV. "Everton away is a big game and it's one TV will want to televise live. It's just the way it is. It's a bit frustrating as you want to get going as fast as you can with a Saturday game and get some points under your belt. But we'll have to wait until Monday night and hopefully we can win the game."

Scholes confesses it is hard work getting fitness levels up to scratch in readiness for another assault on the title but feels the matches on the DHL tour will be very beneficial.

"We've only been doing two or three days so we're still a way off being ready for a game," he added. "Hopefully, in the next 10 days, we'll be ready and raring to go. It is difficult. Ask any footballer: it's the most difficult part of the season where you're mainly running with a little bit of football here and there. It's vital and we all know what we need coming up to a new season.

"I wouldn't say I look forward to it but I know it's something we've got to do and, in two or three weeks, we'll feel the benefit from it.

"The football bit is enjoyable. When you've been off seven or eight weeks now, to come back and just be playing football again is nice. Obviously, it's tough on the lungs and tough on the legs but we'll be back in the swing of things in a fortnight or so."

Scholes only made the decision to come out of retirement in January, which means his last summer was very different after opting to hang up his boots.

"This time last year, I was in Portugal somewhere," he recalled. "I was glad I wasn't involved in pre-season but, 12 months on, I'm looking forward to it and enjoying being part of it. Hopefully we can have a successful season.

"As I say, we know it's a tough part of the season to get all the running done but it's great seeing the lads again and mixing together. It's something you miss when you've been away for a while. The friendlies are a massive part of it.

"You can do all the training you like but it's games where your fitness really counts and we've been to South Africa before and know they're tough games. We'll be well on our way once we've had a couple of games out there and the match in China, plus the next three games as well. It's all about the fitness at this time of year so we're hoping we can come out of those games feeling a bit stronger and fitter."

Shinji's warm welcome

Gary Neville believes Shinji Kagawa will feel at home almost immediately in the Manchester United dressing room.

Neville, who retired in 2011 following 19 successful seasons at Old Trafford, says the nature of the club is such that the Japanese midfielder will have no trouble settling in.

“The manager’s philosophy has always been to get deals done early and get the new players on tour so they can see what the dressing room is like and settle in,” Neville told ManUtd.com.

“You can guarantee that by the end of the tour they’ll feel like they’ve been a Manchester United player for a long time.

“You hear stories about other clubs where new players don’t feel particularly welcome. I can say with confidence that the manager and the players at United would never let that happen. Everybody’s made to feel very welcome straight away.”

Kagawa will jet out to South Africa with his new team-mates on Monday for a pre-season tour taking in six games in five countries. It’s an experience, Neville says, that will prove invaluable for the former Borussia Dortmund midfielder.

“Pre-season’s great for integrating new signings into the set-up. For those two or three weeks you’re living in each other’s pockets, you don’t see your friends or family... your team-mates are all you’ve got. It’s a great way to introduce new players to the club.

“As for the transition into the English game, I think it should be easy for him. He’s played at Dortmund, a very professional football club and one of the biggest in Germany. He won’t have any trouble adjusting to the English game.

“I’m really excited about watching him play and seeing how he fits in with the other talented players in this squad. He’s had a fantastic couple of seasons at Dortmund, who have been magnificent in Germany.

“It’s not easy to knock Bayern Munich off their perch. And if you look at the performances, Kagawa has played a big part in that.

“He might be one of these lads that comes to United and sneaks under the radar a little bit. He’s not what you’d class as one of Europe’s stellar names at the moment. But he could be somebody who has the same sort of impact as Chicharito or Ole Gunnar Solskjaer and go on to become a real sensation for United.”