Manchester United fullback Diogo Dalot said there would be “no excuses” if the club does not succeed after the opening of a new ￡50 million (US$67.2 million) training facility.
United minority shareholder and chief of sporting operations Jim Ratcliffe cut the ribbon on the building for the men’s team at Carrington after Alex Ferguson unveiled a plaque to the long-serving club receptionist Kath Phipps, who died last year.
Ratcliffe said the renovations were befitting of a club with ambitions to be one of the best in Europe, as he continues his plan to return United to previous heights.
Photo: AP
“The big thing that I like the most is now there’s going to be no excuses,” Dalot said. “Ultimately, the thing that will define us is what we do on the pitch ... we’re getting all the conditions to put us in the best position to win, and then we just have to make that final step.”
The full squad attended the ceremony alongside the coaching staff, United chief executive Omar Berrada and director of soccer Jason Wilcox. Former chief executive David Gill and former captain Bryan Robson, a club ambassador, were among the dignitaries to attend.
“We are delighted with the outcome and are confident the new facility will play an important role in building a winning culture at the club,” Ratcliffe said.
United moved to Carrington from The Cliff at the turn of the century and had consistently adapted the site, but created a disjointed layout. The comprehensive renovation, designed by Foster and Partners, aims to correct that.
There is an emphasis on the flow of a player’s journey through the building, natural light plays a key role in what was previously a dark interior, and additional communal spaces have been created to help players socialize.
“Equipment and technology have been upgraded throughout, with a focus on fitness, nutrition, recovery and team unity,” the club said.
After Cristiano Ronaldo returned to United in 2021, he lamented the lack of change at Carrington in the 12 years since he had left, saying it “stopped in time.”
It was accepted within the club that the training ground had fallen behind those of English Premier League rivals, and Ratcliffe identified it as an area to improve. It was prioritized as part of his ￡237.6 million investment in infrastructure.
There is a barber’s shop on site, which goalkeeper Tom Heaton suggested would be most frequently visited by Dalot, a Formula One simulation room and a padel court, a construction the players insisted on.
It is anticipated that the players would spend longer at the training ground than in previous years, and it is designed to be more accommodating of the modern soccer player’s requirements. An expanded first-team changing room and improved canteen have been installed. Sleep pods and dry floating tanks for relaxation are due to follow.
Medical and rehabilitation facilities have been revamped with a view to matching the elite amenities at other sporting organizations. A basement was dug to allow for recovery pools, and there is a new altitude training room.
The men’s team going in would allow the women’s side to return to their facilities. They were moved into temporary structures while building work took place over the past 12 months, so the men could have the best of what was available.
“We’ve all been blown away by the opportunity this is going to provide in terms of a world-class facility,” said Heaton, who first trained at the site in the early 2000s in the academy.
“Of course, people make a building, players on the pitch bring performances and bring results, but in terms of what that [the new facilities] can give you, in terms of providing help and stability for that performance, I think everyone’s excited,” he added.
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