sport news MAN CITY NOTEBOOK: Women's team's new £10m training complex gains council ... trends now
Manchester City have secured council approval to build a new £10million training complex for the women’s team – who are heading for final day WSL drama.
Gareth Taylor’s side currently share the City Football Academy (CFA) with the men’s teams but construction is set to start on their bespoke facility ahead of next season.
The 2024/25 campaign starts in September and Bunny Shaw and co will still call the CFA home while the building work is completed.
The project will include a hydrotherapy area, high-performance gym and an analytics space, bearing similarities to the resources at Pep Guardiola’s disposal.
Before all that, City will find themselves in a straight shootout with Chelsea on the last day of the season (May 18) for the WSL title - and are relying on rivals Manchester United for a favour.
Manchester City has released CGI images of their new bespoke women's training facility
Project's planned renovations will bear some similarities to where Pep Guardiola's side train
On the pitch, Gareth Taylor's side are ramping up preparations for deadline day drama in a bid to outfox perennial champions Chelsea
Chelsea are three points behind with a game in hand at Tottenham next week before travelling to United. Chelsea’s goal difference is marginally better, while City are at Aston Villa attempting to lift a first title since 2016 and stop Emma Hayes winning five in a row before she departs for America.
City aim for Youth Cup gloryCity’s kids are looking to deliver the club’s second Youth Cup triumph in four years when they take on Leeds United at the Etihad Stadium on Friday night.
Up to Thursday morning, City had sold 17,500 tickets for a clash that has a maximum capacity set at 20,000.
Ben Wilkinson’s Under 18s will want to follow in the footsteps of the Class of 2020. Cole Palmer, Morgan Rogers and James McAtee got the goals in a thrilling 3-2 win over Chelsea and the trio have since gone on to impress in the Premier League.
Tommy Doyle has shone at Wolves too, while Taylor Harwood-Bellis and Liam Delap regularly earn England Under-21 recognition. Levi Colwill was a noticeable name on the Chelsea team sheet on the night.
The Youth Cup-winning Class of 2020 outsmarted Chelsea 3-2 in their final at St George's Park
Two of the standout names from that side are Morgan Rogers, now of Aston Villa (left) and Chelsea starlet Cole Palmer
The exploits of those involved back then provides further incentive for Wilkinson’s side when they go into a home final, with a sizeable following expected from over the Pennines.
While this is Leeds’ first appearance in a final since 1997, City’s academy are geared up to win trophies – but do make sure that parents are aware of the tough road into professional football too.
Inside the academy building at the club’s training ground, there are messages on the wall to families, asking if whether their child scoring a hat-trick is a reflection on their parenting. Underneath it then asks if, in fact, the boy or girl’s personality traits – humble, respectful – is actually a better gauge of that.
City skipper shunned UnitedAs Doyle did in 2020, Jahmai Simpson-Pusey will captain the Under 18s for a final that is being streamed on FA Player. The central defender has been at City since he was seven – and revealed that he had the pick of local clubs when scouted playing for Deighton in Huddersfield.
‘I was in between teams: Everton, City, Manchester United,’ Simpson-Pusey said. ‘I didn’t like it at City at the start and I went to United. I liked it at United because all they did was play mini games and it wasn’t really proper training.
‘My mum ended up getting advice off those who have been in football and asked what would benefit me more. They said go to City because they did proper training sessions to help the player technically and individually.’
Jahmai Simpson-Pusey's (left) decision to plump for a Man City future may prove United's loss
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