Liverpool: Premier League club Liverpool will find their next generation of stars in the Asian continent, according to football director Damien Comolli.
"[Asia is] an untapped market," Comolli told the club's official website on Monday. "It has such a vast population and there are an incredible number of youngsters playing football in that part of the world."
The Anfield side's scouting efforts have already borne fruit; Chinese youths Lung Chen and Chen Nal are trialing with the Under-16 team. And that's only the beginning, says Comolli.
"We said to the people over there, that if they had players that they thought would interest us, they should bring them over. Once we sorted the visa, we were able to do that and it's interesting for us to see them training with some of our academy players."
Despite mediocre results in recent seasons, Liverpool have significant support in the continent. The club played two friendlies against sides in China and Malaysia earlier this summer to wild acclaim, including when 84,000 fans packed Bukit Jalil National Stadium in Kuala Lumpur to watch the Reds' 6-3 victory against a Malaysian XI.
The Reds are far ahead of their English rivals when it comes to promoting themselves in Asia, but it's far from a one-horse race. With Park Ji-Sung on their roster, Manchester United have a huge support in South Korea, while Park Chu-Young and Ryo Miyaichi's recent appearances in Arsenal's line-up are raising the Gunners' profile in both Korea and Japan.
Rumors have swirled regarding Liverpool's potential acquisition of star Japanese players such as Keisuke Honda of CSKA Moscow and Shinji Kagawa of Borussia Dortmund. But Comolli recognizes that the country with the world's largest population may also have plenty of untapped potential.
"Statistically we think there will be good players coming out of these countries. With China being the biggest one and football being the most popular sport amongst young people, we feel it is an opportunity to find a quality player."
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