A new home! Man City unveil new £10m headquarters for women's team which Lionesses star Alex Greenwood believes can take new WSL champions to 'whole different level'

It’s a move that gives City’s women’s team a bespoke new space, while still keeping them on the same campus as the men’s team and the academy sides. The facility has been in the works for almost four years and is now officially open, with the team having moved into it just a few weeks ago.

The new WSL champions now have dedicated medical, rehab, physio, hydrotherapy and recovery areas, as well as chefs and nutritionists who can be fully focused on the women’s side, whose previous base had been in the same facilities as the academy.

Players and staff alike have contributed to the design of the building, with midfielder Laura Coombs playing a key role in some of the interior design, for example, and players choosing how their names appear on the lockers in the circular dressing room, which mimics that of the Etihad Stadium and is designed to support team connection.

“I absolutely love this building,” Greenwood told reporters. “I love turning up at the gates every single morning. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely love playing for this football club and have always been so admirable of the facilities that we've been given. But this has just gone to a whole different level.”

Asked if it is the best space the 32-year-old, who has over 100 England caps and spent time at eight-time European champions Lyon, has been in, Greenwood replied: “For a women's team specifically, yes, for sure. Obviously, at England we have St George's Park, which is incredible. At Lyon, we had a facility which was okay, it was good. It met its needs. But nothing comes close to this. I think it's the best because it's specifically for us, in every way.”

There are several reasons why such a facility has been so well-received by players and staff alike. Greenwood highlighted the improvements it provides in nutrition as the stand-out for her, explaining: “We’re in complete control of everything that we do here, the food, the gym, it's all ours. And everyone in our team has very different options of what they like. We have a lot of different nationalities in our team who like very different foods and we can cater for everyone.”

Emma Deakin, the team’s director of performance services, elaborated further on the positives, in that sense, of moving from the previous home mixed with the academy boys. “Over there, the requirements are different and you’ve got 200 boys, aged 14 to 19, to feed," she noted. "I think the palate is probably different as well. Over here, we can be really bespoke around what does pre-match fuelling look like for you if you’re a Japanese player, if you’re a Jamaican player, if you’re Brazilian? We can be really specific around the girls’ tastes and knowing what they want to eat and how to fuel.”

For City head coach Andree Jeglertz, the biggest plus of the new facility is how easy it is to build “connections” with all the staff and the players. “Now, you don’t need to book a meeting,” he explained. “You can walk past them all the time, you can easily go down to the gym. If you want to speak to a player, you can grab them at lunch. The connection is the key thing.”

Jeglertz spoke to reporters in the lounge space, which is an informal setting where players can relax but also the same area where he will lead the tactical analysis of the next opponent. It’s also where the City squad sat together to watch Arsenal’s 1-1 draw with Brighton last Wednesday night, which confirmed them as champions.

“Isn't that pretty cool? That you can switch from having a relaxed environment and then, five minutes later, it's a sharp, tactical analysis of Chelsea,” he noted. “I think that is probably why, for me, this room is the heart. This is where we talk about connections, both tactical evaluation - we can be frank and honest with each other - and at the same time, a couple of minutes later, for the players, this is a free zone for them, not talking to the coaches.”

It’s another step in the right direction as City look to build on their WSL triumph. Chelsea had won the title in each of the last six seasons but have now been dethroned by a side that wants to enjoy its own spell of dominance. Sunday’s FA Cup semi-final win over the Blues means the London side will also relinquish that title, which they had won in four of the last five seasons. City will be big favourites to take it from them, when they face Brighton at Wembley later this month.

There are still questions. Reports continue to link Khadija ‘Bunny’ Shaw, perhaps the best centre forward in the world, with a departure from the club on a free transfer this summer, with Chelsea the favourites for her signature. “I would love Bunny to stay at this football club forever,” said Greenwood, whose locker in the changing room is next to Shaw, in the one break from number order. “She’s an incredible person. I absolutely love her and hope I’m celebrating with her for many years to come.”

However, Jeglertz expressed belief over the weekend that he will have a team capable of competing for the title when July comes, whether that includes Shaw or not. “We’re trying to build the winning machine,” Charlotte O'Neill, City’s managing director, said. “If you look at this facility, it tells you what City Football Group thinks of women’s football and this team.”