Everton today announced their participation in this summer’s Barclays Asia Trophy in Singapore. The four team tournament, beginning in July, features the likes of Arsenal, Stoke City and a Singapore Select XI.
Games will be played on two separate matchdays, Wednesday, July 15 and Saturday, July 18, with the venue confirmed as the year-old, ultra-modern National Stadium.
Everton are set to make their second appearance in the competition, having previously competed against the likes of Thailand and Manchester City in the Thai capital, Bangkok, losing both games on penalties.
Premier League CEO, Richard Scudamore, said: “We are very excited to bring the Barclays Asia Trophy to Singapore for the first time.
“Our aim is to put on a tournament worthy of Singapore’s 50th birthday celebrations and for that we have three teams who epitomise the best of our League.
“Everton play an exciting brand of football. Arsenal have some wonderful players and I’m sure they’ll delight their many fans from across Southeast Asia, while Stoke City mix flair with a never-say-die attitude.”
This year’s tournament represents a significant departure from Roberto Martinez’s usual, low-key summer preparations. Everton’s participation may come as a result of the wealth of criticism received for a sub-standard 2014 pre-season in which games played against the likes of Tranmere, Leicester City and Celta Vigo perhaps failed to properly prepare the Blues’ squad for the rigours of regular competitive football. Hopefully, the high calibre of the opposition on show at this year’s Asia Trophy signals a change in tact from a first-team setup that has learned from the errors made at the start of this year’s disappointing campaign.
