Fulham boss Lawrie Sanchez, here for the Asia Trophy tournament along with Liverpool and Portsmouth, admitted such visits were lucrative but said clubs were also "doing their bit."

"We're going out to schools, we're doing community stuff, we're making ourselves visible within the community while we're out here," he said.

"Asia is a massive market and there's a big interest in seeing teams like Fulham, Portsmouth and Liverpool.

"We're doing a very high-profile job -- and a very well-paid job at the same time, but that's the Premiership."

Liverpool's Rafael Benitez conceded the trip was a "little bit disruptive" with the new season kicking off on August 11 but said he wasn't thinking about the money.

"I don't know how much money we're going to get," Benitez said.

"For me it's only about the sport. I just think about the two games we're going to play."

Liverpool's star midfielder Steven Gerrard spoke of his pride at seeing the hundreds of fans who mobbed the team at the airport and hung banners outside their hotel.

"It's a really proud feeling to come over here and play in front of all our supporters," Gerrard said.

"I must admit it's a difficult trip to make and adjust in a short period of time but when you see the support we've got I think it's important we take the time to play over here and give something back."

The subject has been hugely controversial with regional football chiefs calling for a continent-wide ban on tours by European clubs during the next Asian Cup in 2011.

The Asian Football Confederation (AFC) was involved in a furious row with Asian Cup co-hosts Malaysia over attempts to organise a Manchester United visit during the ongoing tournament.

"It is disrespectful. This is not the solidarity we expect from the football family," AFC president Mohamed bin Hammam said in May.

Limp displays during the last regional tours in 2005 -- another non-World Cup or European Cup year -- sparked criticism that big clubs like Real Madrid and Manchester United were "money-grabbing."

But as the region's top teams battle it out for the Asian Cup in front of half-full stadiums, foreign clubs are again playing meaningless exhibition matches to packed houses.

The Asia Trophy final is a sell-out while there are just a few thousand tickets left for the opening matches later on Tuesday.

Just a short ferry ride away, Manchester United thrashed Shenzhen 6-0 in Macau late on Monday in a match that sold out in a matter of hours.

Spanish giants Barcelona will also visit Hong Kong next month while Reading and Bolton Wanderers joined a host of foreign teams at the Peace Cup in South Korea.

The Premier League is riding a wave of foreign TV income worth 1.2 billion dollars over the next three years, including 200 million dollars from Hong Kong alone.

Commercial considerations were underlined on Monday when Hong Kong's South China Morning Post gave over its main sports page to a full-page ad by Asia Trophy sponsors Barclays.

Barclays is ramping up its presence in China, which is buying in to the British bank in what is described as its biggest foreign investment.

Portsmouth play Fulham in the Asia Trophy's opening match later on Tuesday before Liverpool take on Hong Kong FA Cup holders South China.