Four years after he brought up the state of Manchester United's training facilities at Carrington and Cristiano Ronaldo's wishes have finally come to fruition ahead of the 2025/26 campaign.
On his much-anticipated return in 2021, a far-from-impressed Ronaldo noted that the swimming pool at their Carrington training base was the same one he had used during his first spell at United between 2003 and 2009.
In fact, a report from The Mirror suggested that the five-time Ballon d'Or winner told bosses that he didn't want to use the main pool and plunge pool as loose, chipped and missing tiles made it a danger to his health.
It has been four seasons since Ronaldo's comments and finally, a revamped £50 million training ground complex is set to open at Carrington next month, which will include an upgraded swimming pool after it was remodelled.
What the revamped training facility will look like
For the last year, first-team players and support staff have been using academy facilities as the two-tier building was gutted and refurbished.
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A report from The Times has given an insight into what players can expect at the new facility, including a Premier League-first in-house barbers and state-of-the-art equipment designed to help overall performance.
Upstairs, there will be a recreational area for players to relax, and that area will include a dedicated barbers, making it the first training ground in the country with hair-cutting equipment.
On the ground level, a flow system has been introduced that means players will visit the changing rooms, gym, pool, and medical and massage areas in the correct order before they head out on to the pitches for training.
As well as the above, state-of-the-art cryogenic chambers have been installed and gym facilities have been upgraded; not to mention new windows following complaints that the area was dark and dingy.
Back in June, United released images of the planned £50 million redevelopment of their training base in southwest Manchester as they promised to deliver a world-class facility, creating a high-performance environment for players and staff.
Architectural practice Foster + Partners, led by Manchester-born Lord Norman Foster, were appointed to lead the project.
The practice was involved in redeveloping Wembley Stadium and the design of the Lusail Stadium in Qatar, which staged the 2022 World Cup final.
"The initial focus will be on the gym, medical, nutrition, and recovery areas, with a design emphasis on creating more space for collaboration and innovation among players and staff," read a club statement in June.
"Temporary adaptations will be made to the rest of the Carrington site to ensure players and staff from all our teams can continue to operate successfully next season."
The redevelopment of Carrington follows the opening of the £10 million women's and Academy building in 2023.
Topics: Manchester United, Premier League, Cristiano Ronaldo
Jack Kenmare