Reds ready for Asia 2011

The Reds' squad departs Liverpool John Lennon airport this afternoon for a thirteen hour flight to Guangzhou ahead of the first leg of their Asian tour.

Three days in China will be followed by three days in Malaysia and then a day in Singapore as the Reds continue their preparations for the new campaign in front of thousands of their most loyal fans.

After a successful last visit to Asia in 2009 which took in visits to Thailand and Singapore, Ayre is looking forward to the prospect of taking the Club into new territories this time around as the Reds look forward to their first ever games in both China and Malaysia.

"In over 100 years of history we have never been to Guangzhou or Kuala Lumpur, so it opens up a new opportunity for us," he said. "For the partners we have today at the football club and the fans we have around the world - particularly in these markets - it's really exciting.

"It's important to go to places and give the fans the chance to see what we see every week here at Liverpool, the players up close and the chance to see them play a game.

"There is always a balance with pre-season which is trying to balance where we want to go that has commercial value and value for our fans, and making sure that it adapts with the pre-season training and development programme that the players are under because although it's an important commercial time, it's an even more important player time where fitness and conditioning is at the top of everybody's mind. You have to find somewhere that has the right facilities and the right preparation opportunities.

"The great thing about the team we have here now is that there's a lot of collaboration and so from the very outset we sat with Damien, the fitness people, the manager and others on the football side, and then sat with our sponsors and brought everything together.

"There has been a lot of promotion, a lot of excitement and a lot of activity and in each location there will be lots of things going on. We have players going off in different directions and part of that is to make sure every fan gets a little bit closer than they normally would."

The Reds will land in China in the early hours of Monday morning and will spend three days in the southern province of Guangzhou, building up to their first friendly match of the summer against Guangdong Sunray Cave on Wednesday evening.

"There is a myth about China and everybody has their own view or expectation of what it might be like," said Ayre. "I think what we'll see is it's a very modern place, it's a very welcoming place, the people are great. Liverpool fans in China are like Liverpool fans anywhere else, they are very passionate about their team and are very excited.

"It's a chance for it to work the other way as well and an opportunity for the players and everyone else travelling with us to understand a different culture, show a different level of respect and do things in a different way. I have spoken to a couple of the players and they are really interested in what it'll be like."

The second leg of the tour will see the Reds' squad take a three hour flight into Kuala Lumpur where they are expected to be greeted with euphoric scenes as thousands of faraway Kopites come face to face with their heroes for the first time.

"The fever is well and truly burning about this visit in Malaysia," added Ayre. "Ticket sales have gone through the roof, the sponsors are running around trying to get as many people into as many places and as many events as possible because everybody wants to be there. It's an amazing city, it's vibrant and exciting and for me represents what Asia is all about. It's got that great mix of modern and traditional, the weather will be glorious, so I think everyone is excited.

"We then go to Singapore and although we're only going for a training session on the football side, as soon as we mentioned it all of the places for that opportunity sold out. As with every time we have been to that part of the world, there is a huge amount of fever and excitement and it's our job now to get on the plane, go there and deliver our end of it."

While fans in China, Malaysia and Singapore celebrate Liverpool's arrival over the next week, our supporters in Korea will no doubt still be feeling a sense of disappointment that the originally planned trip to Seoul fell through.

However, Ayre is quick to stress that Korea remains very much on Liverpool's pre-season radar for future years.

"Anyone who has ever worked on a major event like putting together a pre-season game somewhere in the world will understand that it's not always possible to do everything you wanted to do," he explained.

"There were a variety of factors which meant it wasn't possible on this occasion and when I spoke to the representatives of FC Seoul we had a great dialogue and talked about this as a postponement rather than a cancellation. We have a big desire to still go there, it's a great market for some of our partners and it's an important market for us. I think it's fair to say to our Korean fans that we haven't forgotten them and it's still very much on our radar for the future."

While the spotlight over the next week will be on the first team players with fans following their every move across Asia, away from the glare of publicity Liverpool's travelling community coaching team will be working to leave a legacy which lasts long after the squad have arrived back in Liverpool.

"It's a much criticised thing in football that teams come, take a lot of money out of the market and leave.

"Our community team will coach youngsters and under privileged kids across a series of different initiatives. Some of that is under the football club, some of it is in conjunction with our partners and some of it is with local organisations like the British Council and others.

"We want people to have a true understanding of what Liverpool Football Club represents. Yes, we're a very famous and successful football team, but we're also a part of our community here in Liverpool and part of a global community because we are a global football club.

"The way we operate here, the way we play football here and the way we act in our community here is exactly what we should take to that part of the world."

Liverpool are due to arrive in Guangzhou early on Monday morning and will travel to their hotel ahead of the first official engagement of the tour which will see Kenny Dalglish and members of his squad addressing the media.

Due to his need to continue rehabilitation from injury, Steven Gerrard won't be on the flight to China - but Ayre insists it was a necessary decision taken with the Club's best long-term interests at heart.

"We are all disappointed," he says. "We all know how big Steven is in that part of the world, he's our captain, he's the talisman of the club, but I think Kenny put it best when he said they have assessed all the players who have come back from their break and it's just unfortunate.

"The good news is he is recovering and making progress, but not enough progress to be on a flight for 13 hours and then travel between different places. He won't get the same rehabilitation that he needs here in Liverpool.

"It's very disappointing for everybody but everybody who will be disappointed will be a Liverpool fan, and as a Liverpool fan you always want to see Liverpool being led our by Steven Gerrard on the first day of the season and being there for many games during the season.

"If that's the risk, then it's a big one and one we won't take. Steven has said himself how disappointed he is, so the fans aren't alone - he is just as disappointed. But we have a big squad with great players and great people and they will all be there."

Even without the skipper in their ranks, Asia 2011 promises to be a pre-season tour to remember - but what does the Club's Managing Director hope has been achieved when we board the flight back to Liverpool in one week's time?

"The fundamental part we need to leave is some memories," he says. "The big thing about being a football fan - or a fan of anything really - is you always have that lasting memory that you never forget. I know what mine is and it will be with me forever.

I think as long as we leave as many people as possible with a lasting memory of that visit, that tour or that individual thing that happened to them, then that is at the heart of what we want.

"There are all sorts of other metrics that we will measure like success of our partners, success in the games, quality of the performances from the players, but at the heart of it will be the memories we leave our fans in Asia. We want to deliver the best memory of Liverpool Football Club in Asia."

Liverpoolfc.tv and LFC TV are with the Reds every step of the way in Asia with our team of reporters following the squad wherever they go. Stay tuned to this website or the Club's official TV channel for all the latest news from Asia.