Patrick Vieira is convinced Manchester City’s world-beating new Academy will help create the first-team stars of the future but warned that results may not be felt until the end of the decade.

The City Football Academy – a £200 million development six years in the making – will house every one of the club’s players from the Under-7s to the men’s and women’s senior squads.

It has been in partial use since October but formally opened its doors at a star-studded event on Monday, with manager Manuel Pellegrini and captain Vincent Kompany flanked by dignitaries including Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne.

Vieira’s role as elite development squad boss places him front and centre in the club’s vision of developing home-grown heroes and he is convinced a production line will slowly begin to emerge.

“I am confident, because I strongly believe we have talent and now we have one of the best, if not the best facility in the world,” he said.

“Now what we really need is time because when you talk about developing young players you need time. We have to put our head down, keep working hard and I am sure we will have young players coming through to the first team.

“It can be five years, it can be six, it can be four. But I think when you look at the last few games of the first team we had George Glendon and Jose Angel Tasende on the bench, we have Jose Pozo who played and came on (against Everton).

“The good thing is we have a manager who takes in every day players from the EDS training with the first team.

“That’s the kind of experience they need, so the way we are working in the football club is fantastic.”

Club vision

Vieira, who has worked behind the scenes at City ever since ending his playing career there, is mooted as a possible long-term beneficiary of the club’s vision.

He is thought to be seen as a future first-team manager, though some reports suggest he may look for an opportunity elsewhere if one does not present itself at the Etihad.

That is a suggestion the 38-year-old is quick to shoot down, instead choosing to eulogise the best working environment of his career.

“I don’t have any reason to leave this football club. If you look at the club five years ago to now, can you imagine what will happen in the next five years? I want to be part of it,” he said.

“You can’t compare this to any other (training complex). Arsenal was really good, Inter was really good, but I think this training facility takes it to a different level.

“It’s difficult to compare it, because you can’t compare with what we have here.”