Among the squad are several players with little or no first team experience, so for the likes of Micah Richards, Stephen Ireland and Jonathan D’Laryea the chance to play and bond with their more senior colleagues is an invaluable one.
Lee Croft and Bradley Wright-Phillips made several substitute appearances last season, but with several departures from the squad over the summer this pre-season tour represents an opportunity for them to impress the management, and Pearce is keen for the youngsters to make the most of it.
“I’ve brought along six or seven youngsters who will really benefit from this trip,” he asserts. “But I also want them to get experience on the field.
“They’ve shown promise in the weekend games and now will get the chance to play on the biggest stage so far in their careers.”
The manager also confirmed that Jihai Sun, who has flown to Thailand from Beijing, and Trevor Sinclair have made good progress in their recoveries from their lengthy injury lay-offs.
“Jihai has looked after himself over the summer and has been sensible about his work. He’s raring to go, as is Trevor.”
