BANGKOK: Liverpool insist they are not just in Asia to cash in on the lucrative commercial opportunities the region offers, but to give their fanatical fans a chance to see them in the flesh.

The Reds arrived here Monday, minus Steven Gerrard who is embroiled in a court case back home, to play Thailand on Wednesday before jetting to Singapore for the second leg of their Southeast Asia visit.

Clubs in the past, notably Real Madrid, have been criticised for planning worldwide tours purely for the financial reward.