The proposals, which have a total value of up to £10 million, will see the creation of a stand-alone facility designed to house the women’s first team, and marks the latest chapter in the Club’s continued investment into best-in-class facilities for the team.
Should the facility’s application be approved, it will open in 2025 and feature a hydrotherapy area, a high-performance gym and an analytics space all designed to enhance player development by mirroring the high-performance environment of the men’s first team.
During the planning stages, the Club worked closely with first team multi-disciplinary experts to ensure the facility best meets the specific needs of the players, and the 17,000 square foot building has also been designed so it can be expanded over time as the team continues to grow.
As well as benefitting from a private facility, the team will continue to be a central part of the eco-system at the £200m City Football Academy meaning they can take advantage of the resources and know-how across the organisation’s wider operations and facilities.
Just a few hundred metres away from the proposed training facility is Manchester City Women’s 7-000-seater Joie Stadium – the first and biggest purpose-built stadium in the Barclays Women’s Super League – connected to the wider site that also features the men’s first team and Academy training facilities.
Commenting on the plans, Charlotte O’Neill, Managing Director – Manchester City Women, said:
“We are delighted to announce our exciting plans to create a purpose-built training facility for our Women’s First Team.
“Over the past decade, our shared space at City Football Academy has been a huge asset to the team, providing unrivalled access to world-leading facilities and industry experts that have helped the team to adopt the Club’s philosophies on and off the pitch and establish itself as a pioneer in the development of women’s football in this country.
“However, as the team evolves, so do their needs and that’s why we continue to invest in the right facilities at the right stage in the team’s journey.
“By building in a new, state-of-the-art facility, we will provide our players with a bespoke industry-leading environment for them to train and recover together, and we believe this will further improve player welfare, and help attract even more talent to Manchester City and the next generation of aspiring women footballers.”
Manchester City captain, Steph Houghton, who has been with the Club since its professional re-launch in 2014, added:
“I’ve been incredibly proud to call the City Football Academy home for the past ten years and have seen first-hand how the integrated facilities we are a part of have contributed to the development of the women’s team.
“My team-mates and I have benefitted massively from working with the coaches, researchers, nutritionists and everyone else on site who have helped us to develop as professional footballers and compete at the highest level.
“As we look to take the next step in our journey of developing the women’s game, it’s right that we now develop our own purpose-built home, at the heart of City Football Academy, and I’m thrilled the Club has the ambition and commitment to keep investing in our future.”
