Liverpool buy back former Melwood base – Click Liverpool

Liverpool have bought back their former Melwood training ground.

The West Derby facility became synonymous with decades of dominance as the nerve centre for the Anfield club between 1950 and November 2020.

Jurgen Klopp’s side moved out of the complex in the latter period in favour of their new £50 million training complex at the AXA Training Centre in Kirkby.

But the Reds’ legacy at Melwood is set to continue after they struck a deal with site owners Torus to create a new home for their women’s team.

Matt Beard’s side had previously trained at Tranmere Rovers, who host their WSL fixtures, as the search for their permanent base was ongoing.

A planning application is set to be brought forward for LFC Women’s new first-team training ground as well as Professional Game Academy.

Plans to use the site for community outreach facilities for the LFC Foundation and the education and football academy run by club legend Robbie Fowler.

Torus confirmed it will use funds from the sale of Melwood to continue their strategy of increasing much-needed affordable housing across Merseyside.

Andy Hughes, Liverpool’s managing director, said: “This is a truly historic moment for Liverpool Football Club and the continued desire of the LFC Women board to elevate and develop our women’s first team and Category 1 Professional Game Academy.

“Now is the right time to make this move and we’re absolutely delighted that we’ve managed to take this opportunity to return to Melwood and to see it start a new chapter of Liverpool’s commitment to our women’s first team and academy.

“We also have an opportunity to further develop the use of the site to support the local community by using it as an additional base for LFC Foundation.

“We would like to thank Robbie Fowler and Jamie Carragher for their work with Torus since we left the site in 2019.

“We have always taken the views of the local community seriously and we look forward to re-engaging with them in the near future.”