Park Seung-soo will be hoping to make an impression at international level during the Autumn
Newcastle United's Leo Shahar and Park Seung-soo at Villa Park
Newcastle United's Leo Shahar and Park Seung-soo at Villa Park(Image: ChronicleLive)
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Newcastle United youngster Park Seung-soo is set to miss up to a month of the new season for the Magpies after he was called up to represent South Korea at the upcoming 2026 Asian Games.
Park will join up with his South Korea under-23 team-mates in September, with the men's football tournament to be held from September 15 until October 3.
The 19-year-old is the youngest member of the Taegeuk Warriors squad and he will hope to help his country win their fourth successive Asian Games gold medal after triumphing in 2014, 2018 and 2022.
Having made five caps for his country's under-20s side, it will be a step up for the Newcastle youngster, who made 24 appearances for the Magpies' under-21 side across all competitions last season.
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Park made an immediate impression at first team level during pre-season last year, fresh off the back of joining the club from Suwon Bluewings, and impressed enough to be named on the bench for Newcastle's 0-0 draw with Aston Villa on the opening game of the season.
He was also named on the bench for Newcastle's 3-1 FA Cup win over the same opponents at Villa Park in February and United have high hopes about his future on Tyneside.
In the meantime, he has been working diligently with the under-21s under the tutelage of former coach Adam Lawrence and current boss Robbie Stockdale.
The 19-year-old ended the season with two goals and five assists for United's second string and in an 'Inside Newcastle's Academy' special, we got an insight into his first season at the club and the challenge Stockdale and his staff have set him heading into next season to make the jump to first team level.
"I think I feel better physically," Park said during a one-to-one feedback session with Stockdale and head of football development Mark Atkinson when asked where he feels he has improved over the last four or five games.
"One v ones, I try more shots," before adding when pressed where he thinks he has done well off the ball, "More [runs] in behind."
Atkinson then commented on how Park's end product has improved towards the end of the season to which the teenager then replied: "I need more." Stockdale agreed, adding: "For your ability, it should be more."
The trio then watched clips of Park, a right footed left-winger, grabbing assists against Manchester United and Leicester where the full-back showed him on to his left foot and he drove down the outside of his defender and cut balls back across the face of goal with his left foot to create a goal, praising his awareness to recognise where he can hurt his full-back.
Stockdale then issued a challenge to Park to help him make the leap from academy level to the senior game: "In possession you've got good quality. To get into a first team, senior environment, out of possession is as important.
"So you need to make sure you keep working on that but from where you were to where you are now, big improvement."
You can watch the full feature on the club's YouTube channel, here.
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