Liverpool’s academy is set to undergo a major £20million redevelopment as the club’s owners aim to recognise its role in the Reds’ recent success.
The academy’s training base, which first opened in 1998, will see significant upgrades, according to James Pearce of The Athletic.
Liverpool plans to submit a planning application this month, with the project expected to be completed by 2028.
As part of the redevelopment, an indoor dome will be built over the current main pitch and linked to the existing building at Kirkby, temporarily displacing home matches for the U21s and U19 Youth League.
The outdoor pitch, currently artificial, will be replaced with natural grass and feature a new stand for around 500 spectators, a considerable upgrade on the current facilities.
The club also plans to enhance the medical and sports science areas within the academy, with FSG viewing the redevelopment as recognition of the academy’s contribution to Liverpool’s recent success.
While the major work will take place over several years, the academy has already seen improvements over the summer, with around £2 million invested in new facilities. Upgrades include cages for small-sided matches, a padbol court, an athletic development and skills area, and new floodlighting.
“It’s a big statement. The owners have embarked on a number of infrastructure projects in recent years,” academy director Alex Inglethorpe told the Athletic.
“With the redevelopment of the two stands at Anfield, building the AXA Training Centre to put us all on one site here at Kirkby, and giving Melwood a facelift for the women’s team to go there.
“We’ve always been patient as an academy, knowing where we sit in the order of things, but now it’s our turn and it’s really exciting.
“We’ve never had a full-size indoor facility before that would match up with a lot of our competitors.”
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