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Bailey: Hong Kong tournament will be a "great experience"
Written by Dan King
Owen Bailey and his Newcastle team-mates arrived in Hong Kong on Wednesday, ahead of the HKFC Citi Soccer Sevens.
And the defender is looking forward to his first taste of the tournament, which kicks off in Happy Valley on Saturday.
United, who lifted the trophy in 2012 and were beaten finalists in 2013, have returned to compete this time around after a one-year absence.
Paul Dummett, Jamie Sterry, Sammy Ameobi, James Tavernier, Lubomir Satka, Jak Alnwick, Adam Campbell, Daniel Barlaser and Callum Roberts are among the players to represent Newcastle at the seven-a-side tournament and later play first-team football for the Magpies.
Barlaser and Roberts are again part of this year's squad, and Bailey told nufc.co.uk: "The lads have all said it's a great experience.
"It's quite a hot place, and a physically demanding tournament, but they've said it's really good so I'm looking forward to it.
"The lads have been a few times and I've always wanted to go myself - so this year hopefully we'll enjoy it, come out with a few good results and go as far as possible."
Newcastle are in Group C, alongside Rangers, Hong Kong Football Club and Australian side Newcastle Jets.
And Bailey - who skippered Newcastle as they won the Techflow Marine Northumberland Senior Cup earlier this month - said: "Rangers will be a good team - obviously we know a bit about them.
"Newcastle Jets and Hong Kong Football Club are a bit of an unknown for us because we've never played them before, but it should be three good teams for us to play and hopefully it'll be a good test for us."
The competition format - seven-a-side games lasting seven minutes per half in the group stages and ten minutes per half in the knockout stages - will also be a new challenge, but Bailey explained: "We've done a bit in training, playing seven-a-side on a smaller pitch, but over here it will be completely different to what we're used to.
"But at the end of the day, it's still football. As much as it is different, it's still the same game.
"We'll have to use a different formation and I'm sure we'll have a way to play. I'm looking forward to it and hopefully we can get a few decent results."
Tickets for the event are available at www.ticketflap.com/hksoccer7s2018 with free entry for all as the Masters tournament kicks off on Friday and free entry for children under 16 years old all weekend. Single day tickets cost HK$160 and weekend passes are HK$300.
Photograph courtesy of HKFC Citi Soccer Sevens
"It will be completely different to what we're used to. But at the end of the day, it's still football. As much as it is different, it's still the same game."