RIO FERDINAND has gushed over Manchester United’s newly redeveloped training ground.
The revamped Carrington was unveiled back in August.
The project was taken on by architects Foster + Partners and is said to have cost around £50million.
Carrington had been criticised by Cristiano Ronaldo, who felt that hardly any upgrades had been made between his 2009 Man Utd exit and 2021 return.
Following his arrival in 2024, co-owner Sir Jim Ratcliffe quickly decided that training ground upgrades would be made a top priority.
On the ground level, a flow system was introduced so that players can visit the changing rooms, gym, pool, medical and massage areas in the right order before they head out to the pitches for training.
While state-of-the-art cryogenic chambers were also installed, with gym facilities upgraded.
Returning to Carrington, Ferdinand, who played for United between 2002 and 2014, was impressed with the result.
Appearing on Inside Carrington alongside his former team-mate Phil Jones, Ferdinand gushed: “It’s beautiful. It’s what you want in your front room isn’t it? You want rooms like this in your house!
“There’s certain things where I think ‘I wouldn’t mind that at home, in my house’.
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“But it’s more also… it feels like it flows better. Even the canteen where the players go, and the staff go…
“If the youth team are playing, you can watch the youth team from the canteen, and eat your food.”
When Jones claimed that the layout is “perfect” Ferdinand agreed, adding: “It flows really well.”
Asked by presenter Helen Evans if watching the Under-18s is something he would have done as a player, Ferdinand revealed: “Yeah, I love that. I love seeing the young kids. I love that now even – my boys are in an academy at Brighton.
“I’ve always been someone where, if the kids are playing and I’m walking off and I’ve finished my session – 20 minutes, half an hour, let’s watch a half – always I’d walk over and see who the next one’s like.
“I saw (Danny) Welbeck before he came through, Tom Cleverley – the Federico Machedas, all of the guys – Jesse (Lingard). It’s great to see that – I used to love that.”
Ferdinand, 47, recently assisted with the World Cup draw in the United States.
On meeting President Donald Trump, Ferdinand added: “It was quite a surreal moment, I’ll be honest with you.
“You don’t ever anticipate, growing up, that you’re going to meet the President of America, and you’re going to address him while hosting an event that he is at.
“Quite surreal. But a great experience… To be a part of it was really good.”
