Manchester City is underway with building a new purpose-built training facility for Manchester City Women at the Club’s training centre, City Football Academy.
The project, which has a total value of up to £10m, is due to open next season and it marks the latest chapter in the Club’s continued investment into best-in-class facilities for the team.
Once complete the facility will feature a hydrotherapy area, a high-performance gym and a circular dressing room designed to enhance player development.
It has also been tailored to meet the specific needs of the team, with a range of First Team Multi-Disciplinary experts, including members of the first team squad, heavily consulted during the planning stage. The 17,000-square-foot building has also been designed to expand over time as the team continues to grow.
To mark the start of construction, the Club’s Captain, Alex Greenwood, was joined by Managing Director Charlotte O’Neill, Director of Football Therese Sjogran and Director of Performance Services Emma Deakin to break ground on the new development.
This represented a significant step for the training facility, with each of the guests collectively digging the first hole on the site of the team’s new home.
To further ensure the momentous moment will be forever remembered in the Club’s history, each guest signed a Club-branded spade which will be stored in the Club’s archives for years to come.
Commenting on the facility and the start of construction, Charlotte O’Neill, Managing Director – Manchester City Women, said: “After years of planning, consulting and designing, it is hugely exciting to be here today to start construction on our purpose-built training facility at the City Football Academy.
“Over the past decade, the team has benefited from being a part of the high-performance environment here, working with some of the very coaches, practitioners and support staff, as well as accessing some of the best facilities.
“But the time feels right for the team to move into our own purpose-built home, and we think we’ve designed something really special that will help us in our efforts to consistently challenge for major titles.”
In addition to their custom-made facility, the Women’s First Team will continue to benefit from being a central part of the £200m City Football Academy, meaning they can take advantage of the resources and know-how across the organisation’s operations.
Just a few hundred metres away from the proposed training facility is also Manchester City Women’s 7-000-seater Joie Stadium – the first and biggest purpose-built stadium in the Women’s Super League.
Commenting on the Club’s existing facilities, and her excitement for the new development, Club Captain Alex Greenwood added: “I think it’s going to be perfect.
“We’ve obviously gone from an amazing facility which has gotten us to this point, but it’s time for us to move on from that now and expand as a team by giving us our own space to work from.
“Right from the start we’ve been involved quite a lot so we could discuss what’s going to be in there and what’s necessary.
“From what I know the facilities are going to be the best, which is nothing short of what I expect. I’m excited to see how it’s going to look.”