Manchester City Women has submitted a planning application for the development of a £10m purpose-built training facility at Manchester City Football Club’s training centre, City Football Academy.
The standalone 17,000 sq ft facility is designed to house the football club’s women’s first team and will 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.
Charlotte O’Neill, managing director of 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 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.”
Steph Houghton, captain of Manchester City Women, added: “I’ve been incredibly proud to call the City Football Academy home for the past 10 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 teammates 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.”
If the plans are approved the facility will open in 2025.
