Rodgers: We have all been humbled

Since arriving in Asia on Wednesday, Rodgers and his charges have consistently expressed their pride and surprise at the sheer level of ferocious support they have experienced in the country.

Those fans had the chance to watch their heroes from Merseyside at close quarters on Saturday as Liverpool comfortably saw off an Indonesia XI courtesy of strikes by Philippe Coutinho and Raheem Sterling.

Rodgers compared the atmosphere in Jakarta to that back home in Merseyside and pledged to implore family, friends and his own children to visit 'beautiful' Indonesia in the near future.

The Reds will now move onto the second leg of their summer tour with a visit to Melbourne, Australia - but the Liverpool manager explained that the team do so with a touch of sadness.

"It is very humbling, I've got to say. You hear about how Liverpool is in Asia; but it's only when you come here that you recognise the sheer passion and love for the football club," Rodgers told LFC TV.

"The history of the club speaks for itself, but there are lots of modern supporters as well - young kids and families here. It has been great to see.

"They have obviously bought into the culture and the football family that is Liverpool. We have been treated remarkably well, the kindness that has been offered everywhere we have been has been absolutely first-class.

"It is sad to leave because they are so passionate and this is the first time the club has ever come here. I'm sure in the future we'll come out again. It's a wonderful occasion and a great experience for our players, staff, management and supporters to come here.

"Now we go onto the next leg and we're looking forward to Melbourne. We'll leave Indonesia with a heavy heart."

Rodgers took the opportunity to give the majority of his travelling squad some playing time at the GBK National Stadium, and revealed afterwards that his side had ticked off their objectives for the evening.

The Northern Irishman continued: "It was a really good exercise for us. They are a team that is physically fit and for us at this stage of the pre-season, which is still early on, it was a great game for us.

"The intensity of the supporters was absolutely incredible. In terms of the overall game, I thought in the first half we did okay but we gave the ball away too much. But it's still very early on.

"In the second half we had really good energy in the team, youthfulness, and controlled the game really well.

"Overall, with the objectives that we wanted from the game in terms of developing fitness, to ensure that we got no injuries and to look at some tactical adaptations to the way we want to play, it was very worthwhile.

"You can overanalyse it. We're not overly bothered in terms of the result at this stage; it's more important that the players are going to get their fitness. The pitch was also very difficult.

"I thought the players dealt remarkably well technically with the game, particularly in the second half because the pitch had that bobble in it which popped up and made it difficult for them to be as fluent as they would want to be. But overall, it is objective achieved."

Rodgers fielded a fluent front four featuring two of his summer signings for the first half on Saturday, but it was the impact of two teenagers during the second period which particularly caught his eye.

"In the first half, we had lots of central movement with Coutinho and Stewart Downing inside, Luis Alberto dropping in, along with Aspas making the runs and penetrating in behind," the boss added.

"That fluency, at times, got us in really well and just that final ball didn't quite come off. In the second half, the two kids on the sides were brilliant.

"Raheem Sterling looked very sharp and young Jordon Ibe did really well, outstanding burst of pace to get away. He will have learned a lot being with the first-team players; in games like tonight he showed his football talent as well, it was a great pass inside at the right moment and Assaidi makes the square pass and we get the finish.

"It was a great counter-attacking goal. The control was good, the two central midfield players were excellent in Jordan Henderson and Joe Allen. Overall it was pleasing."