Construction work has started on Manchester City’s new state-of-the-art training ground, with the women’s team set to benefit from a purpose-built £10m facility.
The club expect the new building, which will feature a hydrotherapy area, high-performance gym and a circular dressing room, to open next season.
Alex Greenwood, the club’s captain, attended the groundbreaking ceremony on Tuesday alongside the club’s Managing Director, Director of Football and Director of Performance Services.
Together, they dug the first hole that will eventually form the foundations of the new training ground before signing club-branded spades that Manchester City say _“will be stored in the club’s archives for years to come.”_
With the building just a few hundred metres away from the Joie Stadium, Nick Cushing’s side will remain at the heart of Manchester City’s impressive City Football Academy training complex.
CREDITS: Manchester City FC
Alex Greenwood commented: _“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.”_
Her views were echoed by the club’s Managing Director, Charlotte O’Neill, who added that _“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.”_
City have an opportunity to pick up silverware this weekend as they take on Chelsea in the Subway Women’s League Cup Final, hosted at Derby County’s Pride Park.