Football: Nothing too early for Spurs fans as they welcome their heroes to Singapore

Fans had come with Spurs and England memorabilia in hand as they gathered by the entrance of Mandarin Oriental hotel to greet players such as Lucas Moura and Son Heung-Min. PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN
Striker Harry Kane arriving at the Mandarin Oriental hotel. ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN
South Korean star Son Heung-Min signing autographs following his arrival at the Mandarin Oriental hotel. ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN
Tottenham manager Mauricio Pochettino signing autographs at the Mandarin Oriental hotel. ST PHOTO: ONG WEE JIN

SINGAPORE - Some had gathered as early as 7am at the front of the Mandarin Oriental hotel, but the early hour - on a working and school day no less - was no deterrent to a small but determined group of Tottenham Hotspur fans on Thursday (July 18).

And this small group of about 30 were richly rewarded when the bus ferrying their heroes from Changi Airport pulled up at about 9am and off stepped England captain Harry Kane, South Korean star Son Heung-Min and their teammates.

Decked out in navy and purple kit, the players looked weary following their overnight flight from London but Kane, Son and forward Lucas Moura - hero of Spurs' Champions League semi-final against Ajax, where he scored a hat-trick - entertained fans who were calling for autographs and photographs.

Coach Mauricio Pochettino also obliged a couple of fans.

The fans had come with Spurs and England memorabilia in hand as they gathered by the entrance of the hotel to greet the Lilywhites, who are one of the four teams playing in this weekend's International Champions Cup matches at the National Stadium.

The London outfit will meet Italian champions Juventus on Sunday. The other match will feature Manchester United against Inter Milan on Saturday.

One notable absentee from the team was England international Danny Rose. The left-back has been linked with an exit from Tottenham.

The fans were thrilled to see their idols as Spurs last visited Singapore in 1995, when they lost 4-2 on penalties to the Lions after a 1-1 draw.

South Korean Jin Hong Oh was one of the lucky fans who got a photo with his compatriot Son.

The 24-year-old said: "I was down in the lobby to check out and I saw people with the Tottenham emblem on their shirt.

"I was hopeful of meeting Sonny so I ran out to the entrance just in time to catch him for a photo opportunity. I didn't expect to meet Son on a holiday in Singapore so it is a great farewell present."

Lim Bing Han, a 17-year-old student from ITE West said: "I have been obsessed with Son ever since he played for Tottenham. I have class at 9am but I've been here since 8am.

"It is worth missing class just this once to take a photo with my favourite footballer and I am still shaking from it."

Join ST's Telegram channel and get the latest breaking news delivered to you.