Manchester United started training at Carrington after moving from The Cliff in 2000. The move was driven by Sir Alex Ferguson’s desire for privacy and more advanced facilities, away from the prying eyes that The Cliff had allowed. The original facility initially cost over £60m, starting with a £14m Main Building for the first team, £8m for the academy, and a later £25m investment in 2013 for medical and sports science enhancements.
United have today announced wholesale changes to the training facility thanks to a £50m injection of cash from Sir Jim Ratcliffe, who owns 28.94% of the club. This update is long overdue though.
Cristiano Ronaldo was openly critical of Carrington, claiming 2022 that nothing had changed since his first stint at the club which ended in 2009.
Nothing changed, surprisingly. Not only the pool, the jacuzzi, even the gym. Even the kitchen, the chefs, whom I appreciate, lovely people. They stopped in time. It surprised me a lot. I thought I would see other things, technologies and infrastructure. Unfortunately, we see a lot of what I used to see at 21, 22 and 23 years old. It really surprised me. Since Ferguson left, I haven’t seen an evolution at the club. Progress is zero. You have to tear it down and rebuild it.
One area of criticism that stood out in particular was his description of the swimming pools, referring to their “loose, chipped and missing tiles”. It is absolutely incredible that a club the size of Manchester United would have their players in facilities you would possibly tolerate from your local swimming baths!
Ratcliffe tasked Foster + Partners with the overhaul, founded by renowned British architect Norman Foster, is one of the world’s leading architectural firms. They are responsible for projects like Apple Park in California, the $5 billion headquarters of Apple Inc., the Gherkin in London, the Lusail Stadium in Qatar which hosted the 2022 World Cup Final, and the Reichstag Dome in Berlin.
The new Carrington now has enhanced fitness, nutrition, and medical facilities, a cutting-edge swimming pool, cryogenic chambers, upgraded gym, a top-tier canteen, and a barber shop, believed to be the first in UK training grounds.
It also has a new flow system where players now pass through changing rooms, gym, pool, and medical zones in sequence.
Ratcliffe’s involvement at the club hasn’t been without fault and there are still plenty of valid criticisms of how fans have been treated, and decisions that have been made at the top of the club. But this is a long overdue move the modernise the club when it has been left to deteriorate under the Glazers.
After the unveiling, he gave his view on the upgrade.
Following a review of the facility last year, we made a quick decision to invest significantly in the creation of a world-class performance environment for staff and players to reflect our ambition and vision for Manchester United. 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, through his company INEOS, ensured that part of the deal to claim some ownership was to be given full control over the club’s sporting operations, including recruitment, the academy, and infrastructure like Carrington. The £50 million investment in the training ground is separate from the money he paid for his equity stake though, but it’s part of his commitment to upgrading United’s football infrastructure, and in exchange, INEOS has operational authority over how that money is used. He is essentially investing in the club’s long-term sporting success and he gets decision-making power over key football matters as a return.