Kuala Lumpar erupts as Liverpool FC showcase their skills at the National Stadium

Jul 15 2011 by Philip Kirkbride, Liverpool Echo

THE atmosphere at Melwood will feel like a deathly silence compared to this.

Liverpool held an opening training session at the National Stadium in Bukit Jalil, southern Kuala Lumpur last night but it was practice like never before.

Organisers anticipated as many as 60,000 of the Reds’ Far East faithful would come and watch their beloved players go through a 70-minute variety of skills, drills and running in the oppressive humidity of Malaysia’s capital.

And although only just over half that number, 37,800, were in attendance at the venue built for the 1998 Commonwealth Games, they still made a hell of a racket.

Even before the early evening start, the anticipation soared. From the buzz outside the ground as you walked through stalls selling all manner of Liverpool merchandise to club legend and tour ambassador Phil Thompson acting compere for the evening, talking the supporters through the session.

But Thommo required very few of his Liverpool anecdotes to whip this crowd into a frenzy.

Though not able to rival a bellow from the Kop on matchday, the atmosphere in the National Stadium last night was incredible, especially given that the players were only practising.

Word perfect renditions of some of the club’s most famous chants were heard as they created atmosphere long before anyone in Liverpool training kit walked onto the pitch.

In order to ram up the excitement an extra notch, Thompson and fellow ambassador Ian Rush were paraded around the pitch alongside managing director Ian Ayre.

The Asian fans knew their heroes were close at hand and needed little additional encouragement to shout themselves horse as each squad member was individually introduced as they ran onto the pitch.

New signing Charlie Adam was afforded a generous welcome, one only topped by that of Jamie Carragher and then, to an even greater extent, Kenny Dalglish.

However so engrossed in the schedule, the manager seemed almost not to notice the hysteria which greeted his name. When introduced for a second time, later on in the session by former team-mate Thompson, Dalglish did allow himself a moment to soak up the adoration being offered from the stands.

There was bedlam going on around him, but football matters were what focused Dalglish.

Excitable cheers would go up as Andy Carroll nonchalantly struck a loose ball into the net when limbering up and even the routine of dynamic stretching caused a stir amongst many before the gentle jog round the pitch saw many fans euphoric.

The £35m man did offer a tongue-in-cheek salute when one of his efforts in shooting practice found the net, only to be outdone by Jay Spearing who upped the celebration stakes when finding the top corner soon after.

Details of the session were almost irrelevant for the paying public, who parted with around £10 to watch Liverpool train, as the chance to cut the 6,637 mile distance down to just a couple of hundred yards was there.

Those opportunist supporters back home who try and sneak a peak over the Melwood wall will have to make some noise to replicate what Liverpool experienced last night.