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Premier League club set for radical £20m academy overhaul in first major upgrade for nearly 30 years
Liverpool are set to unveil plans for a £20million upgrade to its academy training base. The site in Kirkby will undergo a radical overhaul for the first time since it was officially opened in 1998. Liverpool opened their academy base in 1998 – now it is set for major changesGetty The Liverpool academy has been a great source of pride for the club with a number of players going on to be key members of the first team. Its importance will be recognised by Fenway Sports Group, the Liverpool owners, with plans to improve the facilities. While the academy has been based in Kirkby for close to three decades, the site was recently expanded for the first team to move there in 2020. They moved from their Melwood base to the expanded site five years ago. The first team and academy facilities are separate, with their own entrances, but are joined by a single corridor. That was made at the request of former boss Jurgen Klopp, who believed it to be both a metaphoric and physical path to the first team for the academy players. What changes are being made? The Athletic report that the main pitch will be covered with an indoor dome, giving the club a full-size indoor pitch for the first time. An artificial pitch will be replaced by grass, and a stand for around 500 spectators will also be built, which will become the centrepiece of the academy. There will also be enhanced medical and sport science facilities and it is expected to be completed in 2028. The plans for the upgrades, which will cost in the region of £20m, will be submitted by the club in October. View Tweet: https://twitter.com/JamesPearceLFC?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw What work has already been done? Liverpool have already spent £2m in upgrading some facilities to the academy base in Kirkby. New floodlights have been installed on pitches so they can be used in the evenings, while cages have been erected for smaller-sized matches. There is also a new ‘padbol’ court (a mix of padel, football, squash, and volleyball) as well as a new skills area. Why is Liverpool’s academy being upgraded? “It’s a big statement,” academy director Alex Inglethorpe told The Athletic. “The owners have embarked on a number of infrastructure projects in recent years 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. While I’m all for toughening them up in the Kirkby wind and rain, there are a lot of days when we have to cancel training or the quality of a session is compromised. It’s going to make a massive difference. Inglethorpe, left, has been academy director since 2014Getty “We’re already reaping the benefits of the changes made this summer. It’s important for the boys and their families to see that investment. I’ve always felt supported and there’s recognition from the club that we have contributed a lot in terms of player sales.” What Liverpool academy players have been sold? The players who burst onto the scene and play for the Liverpool first team have more than contributed to the club’s success on the pitch. In Arne Slot’s Premier League winning campaign, a total of 18 per cent of the minutes played for Liverpool came from the club’s academy. Seeing as it costs around £11m-a-year to run, it more than pays its way. Liverpool generated around £100m from academy product sales this summer Ngumoha was with Chelsea until 2024 before joining Liverpool’s academyGetty Over the last five years, more than £200m has been generated from academy player sales. In the most recent transfer window that is at £100m alone. Meanwhile, it looks like the club has done it again with 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha scoring just minutes into his Premier League debut.
Liverpool are set to unveil plans for a £20million upgrade to its academy training base.
The site in Kirkby will undergo a radical overhaul for the first time since it was officially opened in 1998.
The Liverpool academy has been a great source of pride for the club with a number of players going on to be key members of the first team.
Its importance will be recognised by Fenway Sports Group, the Liverpool owners, with plans to improve the facilities.
While the academy has been based in Kirkby for close to three decades, the site was recently expanded for the first team to move there in 2020.
They moved from their Melwood base to the expanded site five years ago.
The first team and academy facilities are separate, with their own entrances, but are joined by a single corridor.
That was made at the request of former boss Jurgen Klopp, who believed it to be both a metaphoric and physical path to the first team for the academy players.
What changes are being made?
The Athletic report that the main pitch will be covered with an indoor dome, giving the club a full-size indoor pitch for the first time.
An artificial pitch will be replaced by grass, and a stand for around 500 spectators will also be built, which will become the centrepiece of the academy.
There will also be enhanced medical and sport science facilities and it is expected to be completed in 2028.
The plans for the upgrades, which will cost in the region of £20m, will be submitted by the club in October.
What work has already been done?
Liverpool have already spent £2m in upgrading some facilities to the academy base in Kirkby.
New floodlights have been installed on pitches so they can be used in the evenings, while cages have been erected for smaller-sized matches.
There is also a new ‘padbol’ court (a mix of padel, football, squash, and volleyball) as well as a new skills area.
Why is Liverpool’s academy being upgraded?
“It’s a big statement,” academy director Alex Inglethorpe told The Athletic. “The owners have embarked on a number of infrastructure projects in recent years 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. While I’m all for toughening them up in the Kirkby wind and rain, there are a lot of days when we have to cancel training or the quality of a session is compromised. It’s going to make a massive difference.
“We’re already reaping the benefits of the changes made this summer. It’s important for the boys and their families to see that investment. I’ve always felt supported and there’s recognition from the club that we have contributed a lot in terms of player sales.”
What Liverpool academy players have been sold?
The players who burst onto the scene and play for the Liverpool first team have more than contributed to the club’s success on the pitch.
In Arne Slot’s Premier League winning campaign, a total of 18 per cent of the minutes played for Liverpool came from the club’s academy.
Seeing as it costs around £11m-a-year to run, it more than pays its way.
Over the last five years, more than £200m has been generated from academy player sales. In the most recent transfer window that is at £100m alone.
Meanwhile, it looks like the club has done it again with 17-year-old Rio Ngumoha scoring just minutes into his Premier League debut.
