Liverpool urged to sign Asian players

Liverpool FC have been urged to sign Asian players by their sponsors Standard Chartered.   Their sponsorship chief Gavin Laws commented. 'One appearance from a player, say from Dubai in the Premier League, and you'd have the whole of Dubai watching it.'

Although Standard Chartered is based in London, much of its income comes from the Asian market.  Laws felt that the exposure would be commercially beneficial to his company.

Standard Chartered are relaxed about Liverpool being a 'mid-table' club.   The turmoil on and off the pitch this season had actually benefited Standard Chartered because it had brought more publicity around the world.   Laws thought it was 'not that important' if Liverpool missed out on the Champions League because the matches are played when the bank's target audience in Asia is asleep.

How well those remarks will go down with Liverpool fans is an interesting point, but Laws did say that he wanted Kenny Dalglish to stay as Liverpool manager.   I can't remember a sponsor making such wide-ranging comments on a club.   Perhaps it is a taste of things to come.