Manchester United's players were put through their paces on the training pitch within hours of touching down in Bangkok for the first leg of their pre-season tour.
Former United skipper Bryan Robson, an ambassador for the club and part of the travelling party, was at the training ground to personally welcome every player before the session. New United boss Erik ten Hag looked relaxed, laughing and joking, as his staff took the players through a light training session, which started with stretching, bicycle work and running.
The players – including Marcus Rashford, Jadon Sancho and Bruno Fernandes - then moved on to some ball work in what was a light first session, following a 12-hour flight direct from Manchester to Bangkok. After that, the players took part in Rondos, the one-touch training exercise where one player is in the middle of a group and must intercept the ball, with ten Hag watching on intently.
Hours earlier, on their chartered flight from Manchester, playmaker Fernandes filmed a video tour diary on the aeroplane, before the squad took off for the Thailand capital. Fernandes, behind the camera, laughed and joked with team-mates, including Sancho and Scott McTominay, who he dubbed “McTerminator” and of whom he said “he is always eating!”.
Other highlights included goalkeeper Tom Heaton telling Fernandes he would spend part of the long flight asleep on the floor, at the feet of United skipper Harry Maguire, whom he was sat next to. Fernandes also filmed Donny van de Beek and Luke Shaw, who were sat together, and Anthony Martial, back from a loan spell at Sevilla in the second half of last season.
Filming Martial, Fernandes said “he will be back scoring goals”, to which the striker replied – with a deadpan face - “give me some assists, please”, to which United's new No.8 says "I will for sure man, you know that we have that connection". The squad touched down in Bangkok shortly after lunchtime local time and were greeted by the traditional welcoming party of thousands of screaming devoted fans, which is the norm whenever they tour the Far East.
From there it was off to the Athenee Hotel, a £400-a-night five-star Luxury Collection Hotel, which is United's base in Bangkok ahead of the first game of the tour, against old rivals Liverpool, on Tuesday, kick-off 2pm UK time. For the first time, United are not commentating live from the games on their pre-season tour, despite having the rights to all of the fixtures.
Instead, commentary on the matches will be done from Old Trafford, as United have decided to scale back the size of their touring party. The big surprise is that Stewart Gardner, United’s lead commentator for MUTV, has not made the trip to Bangkok.
Gardner, who has been with MUTV for 15 years, always been an ever present on United’s summer tours until now. MUTV will provide commentary on all four of United’s tour games - starting against Liverpool in Bangkok on Tuesday - Erik ten Hag’s first game as manager.
