Sam Walsh, Adam Cerra and a slew of Carlton players ventured down to AAMI Park on Tuesday night for Tottenham Hotspur open training, where they participated in a guernsey swap but didn’t break the “No Sherrin” rule.
Around 7500 fans braved the Melbourne cold to catch a glimpse of the Spurs stars in person, with the biggest cheers reserved for manger Ange Postecoglou, upon his return to his home city, and superstar captain Son Heung-min.
Son Heung-min at the Tottenham open training session in Melbourne.Credit: Getty Images
South Korean flags for Son could be seen throughout the crowd.
The appearance mirrored Postecoglou’s 2015 visit to Ikon Park, when he was the Socceroos coach and met with then-Blues coach Mick Malthouse and players, fresh off lifting up the Asian Cup.
The Hotspur players are in town for Global Football Week, where they will play Newcastle United at the MCG on Wednesday evening in front of an expected 80,000-strong crowd. Newcastle play again on Friday against an A-League Men’s All-Star side in a double header headlined by Arsenal Women and an A-League Women’s All-Star side.
Coach Postecoglou and skipper Son at the press conference in Melbourne ahead of the MCG clash.Credit: Getty Images
The Spurs squad that touched down in Melbourne included a mixture of big names, including captain Son and his deputy James Maddison, fringe players and youth from the academy and under-23s.
They boarded the plane Down Under straight after beating Sheffield United 3-0 in their final Premier League game on Sunday, securing a place in the UEFA Europa League next season. When asked in a press conference how the jet lag was treating him, Postecoglou replied “as expected”.
“I’ve said to the lads, you know, it’s a long way, but they’ll enjoy playing in the G. It’s a great stadium,” said Postecoglou, to nods from Son regarding the long flight.