It was almost enough to prompt Jason McAteer to rise from his seat. The former Liverpool man was taking part alongside Jose Enrique in a question and answer session at the club store here in Bangkok when amid the Thai translation the phrase “Spice Boy” could clearly be heard.
“I never said that!” interrupted a faux-outraged McAteer at the reminder of the infamous moniker from his days under Roy Evans before he and the room broke into laughter at the loose interpretation of what had been said.
Such an exchange encapsulated the joyous mood amid local supporters in Thailand who have been lapping up every opportunity to re-connect with the club on their first official visit in seven years.
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Whether it be prominent members of the Merseyside press pack or figures from fan websites, supporters have been keen to be snapped with familiar faces of anybody associated with the club.
So the prospect of a photo with McAteer and Enrique and having a shirt signed made the ‘golden ticket’ to ensure entrance to the LFC shop in the Siam Square One shopping mall one of the hottest properties in the capital on Monday lunchtime.
From the moment they landed on Sunday afternoon, Liverpool have been welcomed with open arms as if an old friend which, given this is their seventh trip to the city, should perhaps be expected.
There are the usual cultural differences – one seasoned English hack was aghast at the prospect of being handed a sandwich in which the lettuce had been toasted – but the love of all things Anfield is no different to those who regularly fill the stadium thousands of miles away.
Indeed, speaking to local football fans, there’s little doubt which Premier League team dominates the landscape here right now. “Liverpool,” said one. “Manchester United have a big following, but Liverpool are the biggest right now.”
While the last two words of that quote are perhaps the most pertinent – the Reds are most certainly riding the wave of popularity brought by their success under Jurgen Klopp – the support here has been long-standing and consistent. Liverpool, after all, first visited way back in 1983.
The Reds are also using the opportunity to connect with the local community. Later on Monday, Sami Hyypia took part in a soccer clinic through the Right to Play charity with which the club have a long partnership, with 64 children at a school just outside Bangkok being put through their paces with the help of LFC Foundation coaches.
There will be further such events both here in Thailand and Singapore, where Liverpool travel to on Wednesday for the second leg of the tour.
Next, though, is the open training centre at the Rajamangala National Stadium later this evening, where a few hundred fans who were successful in a ballot will have the opportunity to see their heroes up close and maybe even be provided a cherished Instagram post.
If the raucous welcome at the club store for McAteer and Enrique is anything to go by, it might get loud.
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