It is pre-season tour time for many of England’s Premier League football clubs. What used to be seen as a chance to get fit by playing lower league clubs in England, has now turned into a totally global circuit for touring clubs keen to cash in on those all important overseas markets. In recent seasons Manchester City, Manchester United, Arsenal and Chelsea have all been amongst clubs visiting Southeast Asia as part of their pre season tour plans. This year it is Arsenal’s turn as they embark on a major Asia Tour. Opening up with a 7-0 victory in Indonesia their next port of call was Hanoi Vietnam, to play the Vietnamese Internal side at the My Dinh Stadium.

One of the Arsenal’s teams Hanoi day tours, was to visit the One Pillar Pagoda. As they strolled around in the streets outside the Pagoda, the premier League big hitters were mobbed by a group of adoring fans. Players like Theo Walcott was happy to pose for photographs and sign autographs for Vietnamese and expat fans. The whole team pose for a photograph on the steps of Hanoi’s most famous pagoda.

The players also took part in a mini game of football with youngsters from HAGL – Arsenal – JMG foorball academy. In what must have been a dream come true for the young Vietnamese players, they got to rub shoulders with heroes like Laurent Koscielny, Lukasz Fabianski and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain.

The players looked relaxed and happy as they strolled around Hanoi on their Vietnam Tour. These tour really are a win – win really. The clubs get to build international fan bases and secure lucrative foreign sponsorship deals. At the same time the fans get to see their favourite players in the flesh for the first time. For Arsenal to come to Vietnam, is seen as a major boost for football in the country. Football is growing fast all over Asia and the Premier League is what everyone wants to watch.