Albrighton relishing return to Hong Kong

Marc Albrighton is looking forward to the Barclays Asia Trophy in Hong Kong, a city he is familiar with.

Chelsea, Aston Villa, Blackburn Rovers and 2010/11 Hong Kong First Division champions Kitchee will play in the Barclays Asia Trophy.
Now an established part of the Premier League's fixture calendar, the Barclays Asia Trophy is a bi-annual tournament and the only Premier League-affiliated competition to be held outside England.
This is the fifth Asia Trophy, the others having previously been held in Kuala Lumpur (2003), Bangkok (2005), Hong Kong (2007) and Beijing (2009).
The four team knock-out tournament will take place over two match days on Wednesday 27th and Saturday 30th July, with a final to determine the winner and a play-off to decide third place.

Although they are making their Barclays Asia Trophy debut, Aston Villa as a club is very familiar with Hong Kong as a destination, as their youth team has taken part in the Hong Kong International Soccer Sevens for the last decade. Two current first team players, Mark Albrighton and Nathan Delfouneso, have both played in Hong Kong and are hugely looking forward to playing in front of the passionate local support again.
Albrighton said: "The Hong Kong Sevens was successful the last time I played because we won it. It was just a great experience. Chatting to the people over there in Hong Kong, what strikes you is how polite they are.
"Hong Kong is so different from home, it's hard to explain. It's an unbelievable place. The first time I went out there I was totally shocked. We arrived at our hotel in Hong Kong at 1am in the morning and everyone was out shopping. It was incredible to see the streets were packed. I love going there though.
"I can't wait for the Barclays Asia Trophy and I'd even consider it as a possible holiday destination too in the future because it's such a great, interesting place. We'll feel like ambassadors for the Premier League and for England too while we're there. There will be other English teams out there too, like Chelsea and Blackburn Rovers, so there'll be a good rivalry also."

Delfouneso added: "I have been to Hong Kong twice and won the Sevens twice. They have a passion for football over in Hong Kong and it's great to play in front of them. They really go for it and get excited by it. People come out to watch and it's always a great experience. I have been there twice and come back with the trophy and a gold medal both times which I am really appreciative of."
One team with Barclays Asia Trophy experience is Chelsea, who participated in the inaugural Trophy.
Chelsea Chief Executive Ron Gourlay is hoping the Tournament will be to their benefit again.
"We are looking forward to playing again in the Barclays Asia Trophy. The tournament is something the club has fond memories of, having won it in 2003, and to be playing in Hong Kong is exciting for us," he said.
"To take part in a competition with two very good Premier League sides and the Hong Kong champions will be fantastic preparation ahead of next season. We will also be in Thailand and Malaysia before arriving in Hong Kong and we hope to see many Chelsea fans supporting the team this summer."

Blackburn came under Asian ownership through Venky's of India during the 2010/11 season and so the Barclays Asia Trophy has added significance for their manager Steve Kean.
"It's a real privilege to be invited to such a prestigious tournament as the Barclays Asia Trophy. We're really looking forward to going to Hong Kong and I'm sure it will be a great experience for the players, the staff and the fans who are able to join us out there," said Kean.
"With the quality of opposition we will come up against - with two other Premier League sides also taking part - it will be the perfect preparation ahead of the new season. And it is also a great opportunity to promote the Blackburn Rovers brand into the Asian market, which is something our new owners are obviously very keen to do."
Lo Kwan-yee, the 26-year-old captain of Kitchee, is looking forward to seeing a big crowd on 27th and 30th July: "We are honoured to have this opportunity to take part in the Barclays Asia Trophy. As we have won the 2010/2011 Hong Kong First Division League title, it is the best moment for us to shine in front of the worldwide audience and our opponent teams from the Premier League."
Follow Aston Villa in the run up to the Barclays Asia Trophy in Hong Kong this July on the official tournament page www.facebook.com/BarclaysAsiaTrophy.