Hope they've got enough fuel in the tank in May! Premier League clubs to rack up 200,000 air miles on money-spinning world tours


Premier League clubs will clock up an astonishing 200,000 miles this summer fulfilling pre-season fixtures overseas.

All but two of the 20 top flight clubs are jetting off abroad in the next month to prepare for the new campaign, with the Far East, the United States and Portugal the most popular destinations.

It’s certainly a far cry from a generation or two ago, when even the top players would make do with a jog on the beach and a run-out against the local non-League outfit.

Flights of fancy: Where the top five Premier League clubs will be travelling to this summer

Expanded horizons: Malaysian-based Liverpool fans get behind their side during a pre-season tour

Photo opportunity: Wayne Rooney meets one of the locals at the zoo in Guangzhou, China, during a Manchester United Asian tour

Pre-season Fixtures

Click here for a full list of friendlies for each of the Premier League teams

As even the more modest Premier League sides try to export their ‘brand’ to all corners of the globe, it seems nowhere on the planet is off limits.

Seven are heading to the Far East and Australia, four to the United States and one - Fulham - to Costa Rica.

As with last year, Manchester United are travelling the furthest with just shy of 25,000 miles, and Chelsea, Liverpool and Manchester City are not too far behind.

Mobbed: Didier Drogba signs autographs for fans outside the team hotel during a Chelsea pre-season tour of Malaysia

The champions start their trip in Bangkok on July 13 and then head on to Sydney, Yokohama, Osaka and Hong Kong before returning to the UK. They’re also scheduled to play AIK at the Friend’s Arena in Stockholm on August 6.

Manchester City appear to be tracing United’s steps from this time last year, travelling initially to South Africa and then to Hong Kong, where they will compete with Sunderland and Tottenham in the Barclays Asia Trophy.

City also head to Munich for the Audi Cup, where they are set to come up against former striker Mario Balotelli in the semi-final against AC Milan. With the addition of a friendly against Arsenal in Helsinki just a week before the start of the season, it’s 22,224 miles for the summer.

Foreign fields: Liverpool's Fabio Borini and Tottenham's Kyle Walker battle for the ball during a pre-season match played in Baltimore

Chelsea and Everton are both heading stateside for the Guinness International Champions Cup, a competition featuring many of the world’s best teams that could see both play three times in the United States if they’re successful.

Chelsea, who head to the States via Bangkok, Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta, are scheduled to play in Indianapolis, New York and Miami if they make it through to the final of the tournament.

Everton will play in San Francisco, Los Angeles and Miami if they go all the way through.

Local customs: Rio Ferdinand on a visit to the PheZulu Safari Park in South Africa

Liverpool are also heading to the Far East, with Jakarta, Melbourne and Bangkok on the agenda, before short trips to Oslo and Dublin to play Valerenga and Celtic respectively.

Perhaps the strangest pre-season tour is Fulham’s – they will notch up over 11,000 miles travelling to and from San Jose in Costa Rica, where they will play three local sides. At least Bryan Ruiz can show everyone around.

Norwich City and Stoke City are also hoping to corner a little piece of the American market, while Hull City and Newcastle are off to Portugal.

Whole new pitch: Manchester City goalkeeper Joe Hart at the home of the LA Dodgers baseball team

The grand total – which, remember, doesn’t include domestic games – is a remarkable 199,701 miles – an increase of 13,685 on last summer.

It would have been more had Cardiff not cancelled their proposed tour of Malaysia because of concerns over smog.

Once again, however, the clubs of the Premier League are willing to risk player burnout to chase the wealth of the world.



OVERSEAS SUMMER TOURS IN FULL

ARSENAL

London to Jakarta – 7,276 miles; Jakarta to Hanoi – 1,882; Hanoi to Toyota, Japan – 2,129; Toyota to Saitama – 150; Saitama to London – 5,927; London to Helsinki – 1,131; Helsinki to London – 1,131. CLUB TOTAL 19,626 Last Season 17,019



ASTON VILLA

Birmingham to Rodinghausen, Germany – 437 miles; Rodinghausen to Paderborn – 370; Paderborn to Bochum – 315; Bochum to Birmingham – 393; Birmingham to Dublin – 191; Dublin to Birmingham – 191 CLUB TOTAL 1,897 Last Season 11,649



CARDIFF CITY

No overseas fixtures announced



CHELSEA

London to Bangkok – 5,924 miles; Bangkok to Kuala Lumpur – 735; Kuala Lumpur to Jakarta – 734; Jakarta to Indianapolis – 9,917; Indianapolis to New York 637; New York to Miami – 1,091; Miami to London – 4,427 CLUB TOTAL 23,465 Last Season 12,692 Tarmac training: Chelsea's squad take time to have a stretch after their plane from Seattle to New York is delayed CRYSTAL PALACE

London to Waterford, Republic of Ireland – 303 miles; Waterford to London – 303 CLUB TOTAL 606 Last Season No overseas trips



EVERTON

Liverpool to Vienna – 914 miles; Vienna to Liverpool – 914; Liverpool to San Francisco – 5,176; San Francisco to Los Angeles – 347; Los Angeles to Miami – 2,333; Miami to Liverpool – 4,294 CLUB TOTAL 13,978 Last Season 17,042



FULHAM

London to San Jose, Costa Rica – 5,423 miles; San Jose to London – 5,423; London to Bremen – 392; Bremen to London - 392 CLUB TOTAL 11,630 Last Season 1,186 Coming home: Fulham will play three friendlies in Costa Rica, home country of Bryan Ruiz (right) HULL CITY

Hull to Albufeira, Portugal – 1,071 miles; Albufeira to Hull – 1,071 CLUB TOTAL 2, 142 Last Season No overseas trips



LIVERPOOL

Liverpool to Jakarta – 7,369 miles; Jakarta to Melbourne – 3,238; Melbourne to Bangkok – 4,578; Bangkok to Liverpool – 6,009; Liverpool to Oslo – 685; Oslo to Liverpool – 685; Liverpool to Dublin – 135; Dublin to Liverpool – 135 CLUB TOTAL 22,834 Last Season 9,091



MANCHESTER CITY

Manchester to Pretoria - 5,769 miles; Pretoria to Durban – 332; Durban to Hong Kong – 6,592; Hong Kong to Manchester – 5,891 miles; Manchester to Munich – 705; Munich to Manchester – 705; Manchester to Helsinki – 1,115; Helsinki to Manchester – 1,115 CLUB TOTAL 22,224 Last Season 14,261



MANCHESTER UNITED

Manchester to Bangkok – 5,968 miles; Bangkok to Sydney – 4,680; Sydney to Yokohama – 4,848; Yokohama to Osaka – 237; Osaka to Hong Kong – 1,542; Hong Kong to Manchester – 5,981; Manchester to Stockholm 869; Stockholm to Manchester 869 CLUB TOTAL 24,994 Last Season 23,019



NEWCASTLE UNITED

Newcastle to Vila do Conde, Portugal – 996 miles; Vila do Conde to Newcastle – 996 CLUB TOTAL 1,992 Last Season 4,082 All weathers: Manchester City's Aleksandar Kolarov and Arsenal's Craig Eastmond play in heavy rain in Beijing NORWICH CITY

Norwich to Sacramento – 5,264 miles; Sacramento to Santa Clara – 88; Santa Clara to Portland – 565; Portland to Norwich – 4,889; Norwich to Braga – 889; Braga to Norwich – 889 CLUB TOTAL 12,584 Last Season 2,046



SOUTHAMPTON

Southampton to Palafrugell, Spain – 745 miles; Palafrugell to Palamos – 5; Palamos to Villach, Austria – 623; Villach to Vigo, Spain – 969; Vigo to Southampton – 720 CLUB TOTAL 3,062 Last season 1,397



STOKE CITY

Stoke to Houston – 4,728 miles; Houston to Dallas – 225; Dallas to Philadelphia – 1,295; Philadelphia to Stoke – 3,428 CLUB TOTAL 9,676 Last Season 13,153



SUNDERLAND

Sunderland to Hong Kong – 5,898 miles; Hong Kong to Sunderland – 5,898 CLUB TOTAL 11,796 Last Season 12,102



SWANSEA CITY

Swansea to Gravenzande, Netherlands – 347 miles; Gravenzande to Maassluis – 6; Maassluis to Breda – 33; Breda to The Hague – 39; The Hague to Swansea – 353 CLUB TOTAL 778 Last Season 11,211



TOTTENHAM HOTSPUR

London to Hong Kong – 5,981 miles; Hong Kong to London – 5,981; London to Monaco – 640; Monaco to London – 640 CLUB TOTAL 13,242 Last Season 13,060



WEST BROMWICH ALBION

West Bromwich to Gleisdorf, Austria – 870 miles; Gleisdorf to Felcsut, Hungary – 137; West Bromwich to Cork – 277; Cork to West Bromwich – 277 CLUB TOTAL 1,561 Last Season 1,280



WEST HAM UNITED

London to Cork – 358; Cork to London – 358; London to Mainz – 385; Mainz to Flensburg – 334; Flensburg to Braunschweig – 179 CLUB TOTAL 1,614 Last Season 4,143



LEAGUE TOTAL 199,701

LAST SEASON 186,016



