Manchester United unveiled new training ground facilities for the first team, sparking a positive reaction from former players.
Ineos promised the best facilities when Sir Jim Ratcliffe became co-owner of Manchester United and took control of football operations.
United fans have been told there will be a new stadium in the coming years to go along with the new £50m redevelopment of the men’s first team training building at Carrington training complex.
It’s considered a milestone moment for Ratcliffe and Ineos as they continue to make big changes at United to restore the club to its former glories.
On top of that, United have spent big money in the summer transfer window as they try to improve Ruben Amorim’s squad ahead of the new season.
The new training facilities will also help Amorim and his staff to keep the squad fully fit and prepared for the upcoming matches.
Dimitar Berbatov at Wembley to watch the FA Cup final between Manchester United and Man City
Photo by Michael Regan – The FA/The FA via Getty Images
Dimitar Berbatov and Odion Ighalo react to training ground upgrades
The media were invited to Carrington for the unveiling of the new training facilities.
United’s in-house media also shared plenty of photos and footage of the new facilities to show fans what the players will be working with in the future.
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It includes a tribute to Kath Phipps, the longest United employee on record, as Sir Alex Ferguson remembered her as he unveiled a plaque in her honour.
Some former players have been reacting to the content United shared on social media, including former strikers Dimitar Berbatov and Odion Ighalo.
Berbatov reacted to a video on Instagram captioned ‘Welcome to Carrington,’ to which he replied: “Love it. Wish I could still play,” along with two laughing emojis.
Beneath a separate video, showing a tour of the new training facilities, Ighalo wrote: “Big change wow. That’s my club.”
These are two players who trained at Carrington with older facilities, and they can already see the major improvements made to ensure the first team stay fit throughout the season.
Ighalo prayed for his Man Utd transfer
In an interview earlier this year, Ighalo revealed how his shock move to United came about five years ago.
The 35-year-old joined United on loan on deadline day in January 2020 amid an injury crisis that left both Marcus Rashford and Anthony Martial on the sidelines.
Although Ighalo did not score in the Premier League for United, he did net five times in 23 appearances across all competitions.
And, speaking to Nigerian Women’s star Rasheedat Ajibade, Ighalo revealed how he prayed against other targets so they wouldn’t get a move to United.
“My agent called me that Man United wanted a striker on loan because Martial and Rashford were injured and they needed a back-up striker,” he reflected.
“I said what team? Did you say Manchester United? And he said they have like four options of strikers (to sign) and you are the third option and all that.
“I started praying against those other options and I said those other options will not work.”
🚨🗣 – Odion Ighalo:
"My agent told me Man Utd wanted a back-up striker. They had four options [in the market], and I was the third option.
"I started praying against those options so that they won't work." [@Rasheedat08]
😭😭😂 pic.twitter.com/y17ikqu7XS
— UF (@UtdFaithfuls) March 7, 2025
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