Manchester City are ready to begin work on their vast new state-of-the-art academy and training ground.
With an 80-acre site adjacent to the Etihad Stadium now all but cleared, the Premier League champions yesterday announced the appointment of BAM Construction as their building partner for the project.
The multi-million pound City Football Academy, which should be completed for season 2014-15, will be one of the most updated facilities in world sport.
Among other things, the complex will comprise 16.5 football pitches – the half pitch is for goalkeeper training – which include a 7,000-capacity stadium for youth level matches.
There will also be a first-team building with gym and medical facilities.
All of the club’s senior and youth teams will be based there, moving from the current Carrington and Platt Lane locations, with other staff at the main stadium linked by a new footbridge.
City will also strengthen links to the local community through a project which will regenerate a large part of east Manchester.
The club have donated a 5.5-acre portion of the site for the building of a new sixth form college while a new leisure centre, including swimming pool, is also planned.
The club first started planning for the new complex in 2008, soon after their takeover by Sheikh Mansour.
Plans were made public a year ago but the club yesterday released new images, including a computer-generated ‘fly-through’ of how the site will look, and statistics.
These reveal the project has 98% support of the local community and that the preparatory work on the land over the past year has already created 49 jobs.
A minimum of 160 more posts will be available during construction and 95 permanent positions will eventually be created.
The complex will transform an area of industrial wasteland and much thought has been given to its own environmental impact. Around 2,000 trees will be planted and all rain water within its boundaries will be collected in huge underground tanks.
Former City midfielder Patrick Vieira, now the club’s football development executive, said: “It is a long-term commitment from the football club and I am really excited about it because once you see the pictures then you can’t wait for the work to start.
“I think the club are creating something fantastic because when you are a footballer you want to develop yourself and you are looking for the best facilities to do so.”