InterviewMatt Beard on LFC Women's Melwood move: 'We can create our own history'
Liverpool FC Women are ready to create their own history at Melwood training ground, believes manager Matt Beard.
The Reds took a first glance at their new day-to-day base on Thursday evening as the build-up to the 2023-24 Barclays Women's Super League campaign continues.
The West Derby complex will now house LFC Women and their Category 1 Professional Game Academy on a permanent basis, following the club's reacquisition of the iconic grounds back in June.
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Watch on YouTube"It's unbelievable for us," Beard told Liverpoolfc.com. "I think if I go back to when I was here in 2013, we were invited here to train… that year we had a successful year and Brendan [Rodgers] invited us back and we had breakfast with the team and with the [league] trophy.
"I look behind me now, it's just fantastic. I think the great thing for us as a team is that there's a lot of history here and we can now create our own history here, but we've got a fantastic facility to achieve what we want to achieve."
On the chance to write their own chapter at Melwood, Beard added: "I think that for me is the most exciting thing about being here.
"You look at the managers that have worked in that office and for me to be in there and represent this fantastic football club at Melwood is great."
Read on for the rest of the interview with the LFC Women boss…
On the players getting a first look at the facility...
You walk through and it's our home. We had a great relationship with Tranmere Rovers, we've been at the AXA Training Centre for the last five weeks and that's been fantastic too. But we're moving into our own home now, our own facility, and it's a world-class facility.
On the effort that has gone into moving to Melwood...
When I came back it was at the forefront and it's always been in discussions, and finally to be here – it's great. As always, the club have been fantastic, and this is game-changing for us and for our set-up.
On his reaction when he first heard about the move...
Obviously it was kept under wraps and to hear it was Melwood, as I said before, I know the history of Melwood, I know the players that have been here, that have come through Liverpool's system, that have represented this football club. It's a great platform for us to continue to progress as a team, as a club. We're so excited.
On the facilities...
They've worked incredibly hard to get it ready for us. I can't wait for the players to see it, to see their dressing room, to see the gym and the canteen. Obviously the pitches are world-class. As I say, we keep coming back to it, but it gives us a great platform to be successful.
On the attraction of Melwood...
I think when you bring players here and they see the facilities, they see the pitches, they see what we've got, as I say, it's game-changing for us with the players that we've got and for future recruitment. But we've got our base now, we've got our own home and that for me was so, so important when I came back, and the club has been fantastic in crossing the line.
On it being a dream for the Liverpool fans in the squad...
Of course, I said before about the players that have trained on the pitches over there and the players that have represented this football club. We've got our own opportunity to do that, create our own history and hopefully make Liverpool Football Club proud.
