From Hong Kong to the Heart of Japan: Liverpool’s Tour Rolls On

Ekitike’s arrival, poignant tributes and pineapple buns mark an emotional end to Asia’s first leg

It began with a whisper and ended with a roar. Liverpool’s pre-season tour, now firmly rolling into Japan, has already packed in enough storylines to rival any campaign gone before. The Reds might have fallen 4-2 to AC Milan in their Hong Kong finale, but the result is merely a footnote in a tale full of new faces, old friends, humid graft and emotional resonance.

Ekitike Lands Running

There was always going to be an extra layer of intrigue surrounding Hugo Ekitike. A player who arrived under the radar, with a point to prove and a chance to carve out his future in the red of Liverpool. It is one thing to join a club like this, but another to immediately look like you belong. From his first training session in the stifling heat of Hong Kong, the Frenchman showed glimpses of why the club had pursued him.

The smile has rarely left his face. And while he might claim his English is a work in progress, the confidence, humility and spark in his first interview said otherwise. He posed for pictures with the kind of ease that suggests this is a lad not weighed down by the moment. Ekitike’s journey is only just beginning, but already there’s a sense among the group that he’s slotting in well.

Slotting in, of course, is what Arne Slot has demanded across the board. There is no sense of resting on the laurels of a Premier League title. Everything in this group breathes forward momentum. From Milos Kerkez charging into headers like a man possessed, to Andy Robertson and Sipke Hulshoff trading shouts in training drills that matter far more than the media realise. It is work, yes, but there’s a joy to it too.

Pineapple Buns and Passages of Grief

Football tours always carry the off-pitch charm. Little snapshots of life that tie a group together. Whether it’s pineapple buns courtesy of the local photographer, chats in crowded hotel lifts with Van Dijk or Salah, or players trying to track down rare local toys for their kids, it’s the sort of human side that helps forge squads into teams.

But even on tour, football does not escape the reality of grief.

The 20th-minute applause. The mosaic. The tears. The silence that spoke louder than any anthem. Hong Kong witnessed a shared moment of remembrance for Diogo Jota and Andre Silva that will not be forgotten. Rafael Leao’s celebration after opening the scoring for Milan was not lost on those watching. This was football doing what it always does best, finding a way to honour its own.

Slot spoke afterwards with typical composure. He knows results are secondary in these moments. He said the performances, the fitness, the spirit were the main things. And he was right. Szoboszlai’s curling goal, Gakpo’s bullet header, the intensity that pulsed through even a friendly defeat, these were signs of a team preparing for bigger days to come.

Tokyo Calling

And so it was goodbye Hong Kong, hello Japan. A flight across the East, a fresh chapter on the horizon, and for one player in particular, a homecoming written in the stars.

Wataru Endo might be the most unassuming figure in this Liverpool squad, but his importance is not lost on those who watch closely. As the Japan Airlines pilot welcomed him home over the intercom, and passengers rushed to glimpse Mount Fuji through the plane window, it was another moment to file under “only at Liverpool”.

Endo has become a quiet leader. There’s pride in his step as he walks through Tokyo, not just as a footballer, but as a symbol of what this club means around the world. There were cheers and scarves from airline crew, fans waiting outside hotels, and no shortage of curious locals eager to glimpse the team that carries the Shankly flame.

Even Jerzy Dudek, a name synonymous with miracles, found himself mobbed by a young lad who couldn’t possibly have seen Istanbul with his own eyes. But that’s the magic of it. At Liverpool, legend passes through generations not by memory, but by myth.

The Road Ahead

As the team settles into Japan and turns focus to the next match against Yokohama F. Marinos, there’s a growing sense that this tour is more than just preparation. It’s a cultural connection, a sharpening of minds and muscles, and a reset after a summer of change.

Florian Wirtz continues to dazzle in flashes. You can hear the intake of breath when he touches the ball. The record-breaking transfer tag sits lightly on him, though the decibel levels whenever he enters the fray suggest expectations are sky-high. He’ll deliver. The club believe it, the fans feel it, and the early signs are positive.

And then there’s Slot himself. The Dutchman is becoming more familiar to the wider footballing world, yet inside the camp there is no mistaking his presence. Players speak highly of him. Staff are effusive. Even when results don’t fall their way, he refuses to flinch. He is building something lasting.

There is, of course, one large gap that still hangs over the group. Jota’s absence remains deeply felt. His name was worn in the stands, his image held high. Liverpool move forward, but they do so together. That is how it has always been. That is how it must be now.

What Comes Next?

With two wins and a defeat on the tour so far, Liverpool now look ahead to finishing strong in Asia before returning home to fine-tune for the campaign ahead. The squad looks deep, albeit with gaps still to fill. There may yet be movement in the transfer market. There usually is. But what this trip has shown, more than anything, is that the unity remains.

This is a club that knows who it is, even when the cast changes.

Slot has taken charge with quiet authority. Ekitike has landed like he belongs. Wirtz looks like he could make the difference in tight games. The tributes have been poignant, the moments shared have been real, and through it all, Liverpool have stayed Liverpool.

Next stop, Yokohama. Then home. And then, the real stuff begins again.