With an urban area of over 37 million people, Tokyo is the world’s largest city, but even life in the sprawling metropolis of Japan’s capital which is a sea of humanity does not compare with the intensity of Scousers when it comes to footballing passions.

That’s something that Yuka Momiki has learned quickly since making her summer switch to Everton Women from Leicester City. Speaking at Leisure United Jericho Lane ahead of a session with a local grassroots club who will join the Blues’ players before being surprised with some tickets for Sunday’s Women’s Super League game against Manchester United at Hill Dickinson Stadium, Momiki told the ECHO: “I really enjoy it. If you walk in the city, you can see either blue or red.

“My nearest cafe is run by Evertonians and I always say ‘hi’ to them. If we win, then after the game they give me a high-five and that’s rare to see, in Tokyo, that never happens.

“In Leicester, rugby is big and so is cricket, and when I was there, I was living outside of the city centre, so I didn’t see so much. Being in Liverpool is so much...