Brighton and Hove Albion stars are big in Japan
Kaoru Mitoma, Danny Welbeck and Jan Paul van Hecke were given a sensational welcome at the American Express offices in Tokyo earlier this week. Albion are touring in Japan, with a pre-season training camp in Tokyo and matches against the Kashima Antlers and Tokyo Verdy at the National Stadium.
The Albion stars were greeted by hundreds of Amex staff, taking photos, cheering and wearing special Japan Tour 2024 t-shirts.
Chief executive and deputy chairman Paul Barber and club ambassador Glenn Murray joined the trio on the visit, and there was standing room only as the players took part in a question-and-answer session with staff
Welbeck said: “It’s been an amazing welcome across Tokyo and Japan and it was wonderful to see so many American Express colleagues come out to give us such an amazing welcome.
“We have felt the love and the passion and it’s something we want to reciprocate.”
Albion won their opening fixture against Kashima 5-1 and will complete the tour tomorrow (Sunday 28 July) with a match against Tokyo Verdy.
Final pain from 12 yards for County Armagh but pride in ‘unbelievable’ journey at SuperCupNI
Defeat at Coleraine Showgrounds over a penalty shoot-out against Brighton and Hove Albion could not detract from the high praise by Ross at his players’ overall progress in the boys’ Premier Section.
“They were excellent tonight, but they’ve been superb all week,” said Ross following Friday’s showdown. “To get through to the SuperCupNI final for a county like Armagh, the smallest county in Northern Ireland, it’s an unbelievable achievement.
“We had obviously talked about trying to be history-makers by going on and winning it, but they were history-makers on day three when they topped the group for the first time and they were history-makers when they made the final.
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