Pics: God returns to Thailand

The former Reds striker is a household name in the Thai capital, having recently played for and managed local giants Muangthong United, and within hours of landing in Bangkok with ex-Liverpool teammate Steve Harkness, he joined former Manchester United captain Bryan Robson for a tour of the Grand Palace.

The trip to one of Thailand's most sacred sites provided a great photo opportunity for the local media who turned out in force to greet the country's highest-profile footballing import.

Liverpool are massively popular in south-east Asia and while there were not many fans at the Grand Palace today, large numbers of Reds fans are expected to turn out to cheer on the LFC Masters team when they contest the EPL Masters Football Thailand tournament against Manchester United amongst others at the Impact Arena.

Joining the former Kop favourite and Harkness in the LFC team will be John Barnes, Phil Babb, Mark Walters, Julian Dicks, Paul Jones, Jimmy Carter and Stephane Henchoz.

While the presence of Barnes in Asia will be a big draw for the fans, it's Fowler who is already grabbing the headlines.

"It's great to be back in Bangkok," he told one local reporter. "I really enjoyed my time playing for Muangthong United. It was a great experience to sample a different culture and test my skills in a different league.

"The fans are very passionate over here and they really love their football. I first saw that in 2001 when I came over with Liverpool on a pre-season tour and while that was the first team, I think we'll still get some great support when we play on Sunday.

"We might all be a little slower than we were in our prime but we're very serious about trying to put on a good show for the fans and trying to win the tournament."

Stay tuned to the website for more coverage from the EPL Masters Football Thailand tournament sponsored by Standard Chartered.