Diogo Dalot says there will be “no excuses” if Manchester United do not succeed after the opening of a new £50m training facility.
The minority owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe cut the ribbon on the building for the men’s team at Carrington after Sir 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.
Dalot said: “The big thing that I like the most is now there’s going to be no excuses. Ultimately, the thing that will define us is what we do on the pitch. I think what is going to bring joy to the fans, joy to ourselves is winning games. 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, the chief executive, Omar Berrada, and the director of football, Jason Wilcox. The 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 + 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 socialise. “Equipment and technology have been upgraded throughout, with a focus on fitness, nutrition, recovery and team unity,” United 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 Premier League rivals and Ratcliffe identified it as an area to improve. It was prioritised as part of his £237.6m investment in infrastructure.
There is a barber’s shop on site, which the 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.
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It is anticipated players will spend longer at the training ground than in previous years and it is designed to be more accommodating of the modern footballer’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 organisations. A basement was dug to allow for recovery pools and there is a new altitude training room.
The men’s team going in will allow the women’s side to return to their facilities. They were moved out into temporary structures while the 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.”
