Interview'AXA Melwood Training Centre represents exciting new era for LFC Women'
Liverpool FC Women captain Niamh Fahey believes the move to the AXA Melwood Training Centre is a game-changer for the club.
The iconic venue was officially opened on Friday ahead of the 2023-24 Barclays Women's Super League season, which the Reds start with a trip to Emirates Stadium on Sunday to face Arsenal Women.
With a state-of-the-art facility now their day-to-day base, Fahey is hopeful the team can make further strides during their second season in the WSL since returning.
"Melwood is such an historic place for the club and it's the beginning of a new era now for Liverpool FC Women," the skipper told Liverpoolfc.com. "So to be here at Melwood and for this to be our home, it's really special.
"It's an elite facility and I think it's going to do wonders for the club. Obviously for us to be in this environment now, it's going to make a massive difference. Everyone is absolutely buzzing.
"The pitches are exceptional as well – we don't have any excuses now. It's top-class.
"We needed an elite facility to be able to grow, progress and obviously attract the best talent, and it's just fantastic for us as players to be in this environment day in, day out."
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Fahey, currently sidelined with a calf injury, is a lifelong Liverpool fan and knows exactly what the West Derby complex means to the rich history of the club.
She continued: "It's huge, it's iconic. When you talk about the managers and the players who have come through these doors, we know what this facility means to Liverpool Football Club.
"We are here now and it's a new chapter in our history, so it's massive and it's something that we are going to take a lot of pride in as well and create our new chapter.
"This is a special place and we need to do it justice and we want to bring back some silverware because Melwood has a long history of silverware coming back here, so we know the remit."
During the summer, manager Matt Beard brought in seven new arrivals to help build on the seventh-placed finish secured in the WSL last term.
Fahey said: "We have had a really good transfer window and the girls that have come in have been exceptional, have slotted in seamlessly and have really good talent as well.
"We've got a lot of competition now and that's what we need to push ourselves forward, and I think it's going to be a really good year for us."
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