Manchester United have announced a £50 million project to redevelop their training centre at Carrington.
The club “will commence work to modernize the men’s first team building at Carrington Training Complex next week, with a focus on creating a high-performance collaborative environment for players and staff”, a press release says.
With both Old Trafford and the Trafford Training Centre (commonly referred to as “Carrington”) known to be in desperate need of renewal, the announcement marks a positive and decisive first step in bringing facilities into the 21st century.
In his explosive interview with Piers Morgan last year, Cristiano Ronaldo blasted the training centre, saying it had not been updated since his first stint at United over a decade earlier.
Whilst many aspects of the interview were condemned, most agreed he spoke the truth in regard to Carrington.
The press release states that “The £50 million project will result in all areas of the building being refurbished to deliver a world-class football facility with a positive culture to support future success.
“The architectural practice Foster + Partners, led by Manchester-born Lord Norman Foster, has been appointed to lead the project. Foster + Partners has a rich history of designing pioneering football stadiums and arenas. The practice was responsible for the reshaping of Wembley Stadium and the design of the Lusail Stadium in Qatar – the centerpiece of the 2022 FIFA World Cup.
“The renovation work will begin on Monday and is expected to last for the duration of the 2024/25 season. The initial focus will be on the gym, medical, nutrition, and recovery areas, with a design emphasis on creating more space for collaboration and innovation among players and staff.
“Temporary adaptations will be made to the rest of the Carrington site to ensure players and staff from all our teams can continue to operate successfully next season.”
It is no surprise that priority has been given to the gym, medical, and recovery areas. These have all come under scrutiny after United endured their worst ever injury crisis last season and the worst in the Premier League.
Poor facilities may well have played their part in the length of time it took players to recover from injury, since the actual number of injuries was not so unusual.
The press release goes on to quote United’s part-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who said “We want to create a world-class environment for our teams to win.
“When we conducted a thorough review of the Carrington training facilities and met with our men’s first team players, it was clear the standards had fallen below some of our peers. This project will ensure Manchester United’s training ground is once more renovated to the highest standards.”
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