Liverpool to play in Malaysia in July

English Premier League giants Liverpool will play Malaysia's national side, the current ASEAN champions, in Kuala Lumpur on July 16, organisers said Monday.

The announcement means Liverpool will join leading English sides Arsenal and Chelsea in touring football-mad Malaysia in July as they warm-up for next season and tap the lucrative Asian football market.

The three EPL teams will play at the 87,000-capacity Bukit Jalil Stadium in the capital Kuala Lumpur and are expected to draw fans from across the region.

Julian Kam, chief executive officer of Proevents, the organiser of the event, told AFP that the Liverpool team will arrive in the capital Kuala Lumpur on July 14.

"The visiting Liverpool team will consist of players who will play in the new season," he said when asked if stars such as Steven Gerrard will be in action in Malaysia.

"We expect fans from neighbouring Singapore, Indonesia and Thailand to flood the Bukit Jalil stadium," he added.

The Liverpool team then leave for China after their three-day stay in Malaysia.

Kam said fans will be able to watch Liverpool practice and have close-up access to the players.

Arsenal recently announced that they will play pre-season matches in Malaysia and China in July.

The Gunners, who are renowned for their free-flowing style of football, will arrive in Kuala Lumpur on July 11 and play Malaysia two days later before facing Chinese Super League side Hangzhou GreenTown on July 16 in Yiwu City.

Meanwhile Chelsea, another Premier League Club, will play in Malaysia on July 21 before heading to Hong Kong for another pre-season tournment.