Image Credits: Planning documents/25/00688/FUL
Last year, Liverpool FC unveiled plans for an ambitious redevelopment of their academy facilities at Kirkby. The £20 million overhaul keeps gathering pace – and the latest planning details show just how big a step this is for the club’s next generation. The new documents spell out a project that goes well beyond a simple training upgrade and effectively redraws the footprint of the youth base by 2028
At the heart of the plans is a full‑size indoor pitch housed under a dome built over the current main “show pitch”, which will be linked directly into the existing academy building.
Credit: Planning documents/25/00688/FUL
This two‑story extension will expand the internal training, medical and sports science areas, giving Liverpool the kind of all‑weather infrastructure that many rivals across Europe already enjoy. Crucially, it removes the need to cancel or compromise sessions in the worst Kirkby wind and rain, something academy director Alex Inglethorpe has admitted has been a long‑standing frustration.
Credit: Planning docs/25/00688/FUL
Outside, the plans confirm a major reshaping of the matchday environment for youth fixtures. The current external set‑up will be reworked around a new natural‑grass show pitch, fronted by a spectator stand of just under 500 seats, significantly improving facilities for under‑age league and UEFA Youth League games. Extra hard‑standing and an expanded car park are included to cope with increased footfall on busy days, as the academy continues to host everything from under‑9s to under‑21s football.
The redevelopment sits on top of phase‑one changes already delivered at Kirkby, including small‑sided cages, an athletic development zone known as “The Yard”, a skills area
Credit: Planning docs/25/00688/FUL
Owners Fenway Sports Group view this next phase as the academy’s “turn” after heavy spending on Anfield’s stands, the AXA Training Centre and the revamp of Melwood for the women’s team.
With a target completion date of 2028, the message from Kirkby is clear: the pathway for the next Trent Alexander‑Arnold is being built right now in bricks, steel and a very big dome.
The full plans can be viewed on Knowsley Council’s planning portal by typing in the reference “25/00688/FUL”
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