Celtic’s new training complex at Barrowfield gets the green light

The development will deliver a new complex, hosting Celtic’s boys’ and girls’ academies and will also be the new dedicated training centre for Celtic FC Women’s First Team.

The clud said: “Today’s announcement re-emphasises our strategy of maintaining a strong commitment to both developing our own players and investing in women’s football, with the project representing the largest infrastructure investment by the Club since the redevelopment of Celtic Park in the late 1990s.”

The new training centre will feature:

• New indoor arena, featuring full-sized IFA-approved artificial surface
• Combination of outdoor natural grass and artificial pitches
• State-of-the-art gym/fitness facilities
• Celtic Academy and Celtic FC Women office areas
• New changing facilities
• Medical suites for player treatment/rehab
• Sports science centre
• Analysis centre
• Classroom/learning facilities

Celtic Chairman Peter Lawwell said: “We are delighted to agree this commitment and we are certain it will be an important and positive investment in the Club’s future.

“During the Club’s illustrious history, so many young players have come through Celtic Football Club’s own development system to grace the first-team and through the new centre, with greatly improved facilities, we aim for even more success in this area.

“While there were opportunities to develop elsewhere, Celtic was born and has been raised in the East End of the City and it is right that we maintain this presence in the local community, in a place where so many Celtic Legends have been made.”

Celtic Manager Brendan Rodgers said: “Today’s announcement is very significant news for the Club and will give our young players, boys and girls every opportunity to develop further.

“I know the Club always aims to be the best in everything it does and the new centre demonstrates Celtic’s real commitment to this area.

“Ultimately, the aim of our Academy is to develop first-team players who reach first-team level and I know these great new facilities can support this objective very positively.

‘I am sure the new complex will be welcomed by our coaches and young players and of course, our women’s first-team, giving them all every opportunity to grow and improve in all areas of their work.’

“Some of our greatest Celtic heroes have taken the journey from Barrowfield to Celtic Park and we hope our new centre will assist many more in doing the same.”

Celtic Women’s Team Manager Fran Alonso said: “I am very excited about the Barrowfield development plans, I believe this new facility can be huge for the women’s team and a real game changer.

“The facility will allow for all-weather training with the best of resources and will provide the first team and the girls’ Academy with a great new dedicated base where we can develop further.

“I know the team continues to inspire so many young girls through their play and their achievements and we now want to do all we can to reach for higher levels.

“We have enjoyed some real success in the last few years and we are all committed to taking this team even further – the new facilities which the Club are developing will be crucial in achieving this.”

Celtic Chief Executive Michael Nicholson said: “We are proud to commit to this significant new development and we are sure it will be one which will deliver great benefit to the Club for many years to come.

“Supporting the development of young players and investing in women’s football are two key elements of the Club’s strategy and the new training centre will be hugely important in supporting our objectives in these areas.

“Some of the Club’s greatest ever players have been trained and developed through its Academy system and we hope that many more young players will follow in their footsteps, benefitting from this new facility, with the ultimate aim of reaching Celtic’s first teams.

“It was also very important for us to provide our Women’s first team with a high quality, dedicated training centre, to allow the team to build on the great success they have been enjoying.”