Klopp delivers trademark response
Around 15,000 supporters turned up for Liverpool’s open training session on Saturday night ahead of the opening friendly against Leicester City the following day.
And those inside the Singapore National Stadium were determined to make the absolute most of it.
Cheering the arrival of the players, celebrating every goal, oohing every piece of skill and clapping every goalkeeping save, there can’t have been many previous training sessions for Jurgen Klopp’s side with such a vocal backdrop.
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Those fans were later rewarded with the Reds embarking on a lap of appreciation, throwing shirts into the crowd while the likes of Virgil van Dijk, Harvey Elliott and Klopp himself took selfies on the phones of supporters, even if the devices didn’t always immediately work their way back to their respective owners.
And a small group of fans behind one goal cajoled Klopp to such an extent the Reds boss responded with a brief if slightly sheepish outing of his trademark triple fist-pump.
Given this evidence, the noise for Wednesday’s sell-out clash against Bayern Munich will be quite something.
Liverpool benefit from contentious call
As well as the training sessions and the matches themselves, Liverpool are making their presence felt in several other ways around Singapore.
The LFC Foundation are running a number of soccer clinics and coach education sessions, predominantly based in Tanglin Trust School in the city.
One such event took place on Sunday morning when, in baking heat in the 30s, chief executive Billy Hogan and commercial director Ben Latty joined members of the Official Liverpool Supporters Club in a series of small-sided games.
And there was controversy in one crunch clash, when Hogan’s team were awarded a goal when the ball clearly hadn’t fully crossed the line. To say the decision was charitable to the guests would be somewhat understating matters.
Jets upstage fanzone
The visit of Liverpool is the first of several big events in Singapore in the coming weeks, signs of which are apparent around the city centre.
In six weeks, the Singapore Grand Prix takes place on the streets around Marina Bay, passing by the Ritz-Carlton Hotel in which the Reds are based.
Before then, though, on August 9 is Singapore’s 58th national day to celebrate their independence from Malaysia in 1965. Temporary stands have already been constructed while rehearsals have been taking place in recent days.
And that has included a series of flybys from a pair of F-16 fighter jets, which screamed over the fanzone outside the stadium on Saturday evening to such an extent it almost drowned out the public announcer gamely pressing on with the latest series of events. A professional to the last.
The true star of Singapore
It’s not just the Liverpool players, coaching staff and legends who are being recognised here in Singapore.
Anyone who has been reading the ECHO for a number of years will know one particular football journalist acquired quite a fanbase in the Far East during the formative years of social media.
And the star that is James Pearce shows no signs of waning, the hack – currently scribbling for The Athletic – regularly targeted by locals for a quick word, a snap and, on occasion, an autograph.
Rumours the ECHO point-blank refused to act as impromptu photographer after the 63rd request of the day have not been denied.