The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge have officially opened England’s new training facilities, St George’s Park.
The £105million state-of-the-art complex near Burton was unveiled on Tuesday, and will be a hub for the Three Lions in their training and preparation for games.
Current captain Steven Gerrard spoke of the quality of the facilities and admitted that their presence meant the national side no longer had excuses for not excelling.
“The place has blown me away. All the lads are buzzing to be here. We’re lucky to have facilities like this. It’s a long-term plan and hopefully it can bring success to the national teams,” Gerrard told reporters, published in Sky Sports.
“Now we’ve got the best stadium in the world and the best facilities. We’re taking away all the excuses the players might use in the future.”
England face San Marino on Friday before travelling to take on Poland next Tuesday in World Cup qualifying.
By Gareth McKnight