Liverpool have completed the purchase of their iconic former training ground Melwood in a move that has been hailed as "a truly historic moment".
As the ECHO reported in January, Liverpool have been in talks with affordable housing trust Torus over buying back their famous training base that was home to the club for 70 years.
Liverpool officially ended their association with Melwood in November 2020 when they made the emotional move to a new £50m venue in Kirkby which was christened the AXA Training Centre.
However, the club have been keen to secure a new training base for their thriving women's team and have now struck an agreement to rehouse the Melwood facility which is also home to Robbie Fowler's Education and Football Academy (FEFA).
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The ECHO understands Liverpool have paid around £13m to buy back the grounds of the West Derby venue and the club's managing director, Andy Hughes, talked up the significance of a return to a place that was synonymous with the Reds for decades.
“This is a truly historic moment for Liverpool Football Club and the continued desire of the LFC Women’s Board to elevate and develop our Women’s first team and Category One Professional Game Academy," said Mr Hughes.
“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 [the] LFC Foundation. We are delighted that FEFA will continue to use the site for its college that provides sport and educational opportunities for young people."
Torus announced two years ago that Melwood would be retained after the housing trust had agreed a lease with Fowler and fellow Liverpool legend Jamie Carragher and Reds MD Hughes took the opportunity to thank the pair for their help in the process.
Mr Hughes added: “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 reengaging with them in the near future.”
Chris Bowen, Managing Director at Torus Developments, added: “All our developments are designed to help transform places and inspire growth. We believe Liverpool FC is best placed to use this location to support the growth of women’s football and to maximise the benefit of the site to the wider community.
“Although we will not be delivering this development, Torus will continue to seek other opportunities to develop affordable homes in Liverpool and to help local communities thrive.”
Liverpool Women currently prepare at Tranmere Rovers' 'the Campus' facility on Leasowe Road, Wallasey but after a long-term search to find a more suitable venue that will help LFCW to continue building on their growth in recent years, it is a symbolic return to Melwood that will reinforce the overall commitment to developing the women's side of their football operation.
Liverpool will also use the site for community outreach facilities alongside LFC Foundation programmes and a planning application will now be brought forward to support the proposals. Support of local residents and the wider West Derby community will be needed.
"We are delighted to be working together with LFC at Melwood," read a Fowler Academy statement. "We will continue to offer our unique environment and culture for our students in a world-class environment."
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