So much for Singapore not having quite the same level of intensity of support as Thailand for Liverpool.
After the Reds had been whisked away through a private terminal on their arrival at the airport on Wednesday, there had been a sense the locals were more blase over their spell in the country.
That didn’t take long to be banished.
When on Thursday the ECHO rocked up at the team hotel here in Singapore, the outside of the lobby of the Ritz-Carlton was packed with local Liverpool fans desperate for a sight of their heroes.
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They weren’t to be disappointed as the Reds players made their way out of the establishment before making their way on to the team bus for a training session at the Singapore National Stadium.
Certain players, such as Mohamed Salah, received louder cheers than others. But the biggest was reserved for Jurgen Klopp, much to the embarrassment of the Reds boss.
“I realise when I step out of the hotel that the noise changes slightly and it’s nice, to be honest,” said Klopp, when quizzed on the matter at the pre-match press conference. “In this business it’s like that, because you are the manager of a really good football team and my face is more often on the camera than probably other faces, and I don’t run while the camera is on me so people can really recognise me.
“That’s it. It’s nice but it was never my aim that this would happen.”
Having trained shortly after their arrival in Singapore on Wednesday evening, the Liverpool squad were then whisked away to the plush Marina Bay Sands hotel for a meal in the SkyPark Observation Deck, which essentially looks like a boat on the top of three towers.
The ECHO are staying in somewhere somewhat less salubrious where the room has no windows and the shower and the toilet are in such close proximity the former risks drenching the latter when in use. Regardless, it seems to work.
On Thursday evening the Liverpool players were put through their paces at the National Stadium in an open training session attended by almost 10,000 fans.
Afterwards, the sheer length of the mixed zone area – which is where gathered journalists attempt to grab a few words with a player or two – caught many of the Liverpool representatives by surprise.
Mind you, it wasn’t quite as irksome as earlier in the day, when at an event at the British High Commission former Liverpool left-back Jose Enrique was constantly referred to as ‘Luis’ throughout in mistaken reference to the former Real Madrid and Barcelona favourite.
Finally, the Reds have a new signing in their backroom staff with the addition of Frigyes Vanden Auweele to their backroom staff as the club’s new head of osteopathy. The Belgian has previous experience of working with athletes in football and sports such as athletics and cycling.
With no other prominent Vanden Auweeles, it’s fair to say the new man won’t be confused with anyone else...
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