Manchester United's players have made it their aim to connect with their fans on their pre-season tour.
At the launch of United's new white Adidas away kit in Melbourne, Bruno Fernandes was concerned that the players had not had enough interaction with the fans who had waited hours in the cold to see them. Fernandes, along with Luke Shaw and Jadon Sancho, took it upon themselves to sign the new away shirts they were wearing and personally give them to supporters in the crowd.
It has been a similar story in Perth, where fans have waited patiently outside the palatial, five-star Ritz-Carlton Hotel, which has been United's base for the final leg of their tour of Australia. Fans have been rewarded for their patience, with United stars coming out in organised groups during the day, to sign autographs and pose for pictures.
United's new signing, Dutch full-back Tyrell Malacia, has settled in well with the squad and been helped on that front by his more senior new team-mates. When Malcia got into a lift at the Ritz-Carlton and saw Fernandes and David De Gea were already inside it, his eyes lit up, with the latter putting his arm around him as he got in.
De Gea asked Malacia how his media interviews had gone and it is clear there is already a strong bond between United's longest-serving player and their newest signing. Club officials on United's pre-season tour have been taken aback at new boss Erik ten Hag's attention to detail with regard to every aspect of the trip.
Ten Hag insists on micro-managing every aspect of the tour, from training times and venues, to how much time players spend on commercial and media duties. United's new boss feels it is incumbent on every player to fulfil their obligations off the pitch, so each member of the squad has been assigned the same time for media, commercial and supporter obligations, although ten Hag has stressed nothing is allowed to compromise training and matches on tour.
One member of the United touring party said ten Hag had also remarked that “sleep is training”, with the 52-year-old having placed huge importance on the value of proper rest for his players, particularly with the gruelling training schedule he has made them undertake ahead of the new season.
After Saturday's tour finale at Perth's Optus Stadium, against Aston Villa, ten Hag and his United squad will take a chartered flight straight back to Manchester. The players will have a day off to recover from jet lag, before returning to training at United's Carrington training base, ahead of friendlies on July 30 and 31, before their Premier League opener at home to Brighton on August 7.
