Southgate graduated from Palace’s youth system in 1990, having joined the club aged 16. He returns to officially open the remarkable facilities having made 191 Palace appearances, including captaining the club to the First Division title, and most recently guided England to the World Cup semi-final and European Championship final as national team manager.
Work began on Palace’s Category 1 Academy site in June 2020. The redevelopment created five grass training pitches, a full-size outdoor 3G pitch with floodlighting, a show pitch, a full-size covered indoor training pitch and gymnasium, as well as a complex of offices, analysis rooms, a lecture room, meeting rooms, classrooms, restaurant and kitchen. A state of the art medical rehab and extended gym therapy area are currently underway and will form the final phase.
Chairman Steve Parish said: “The new Academy will have a transformative effect on the future of the football club and the local community, not only enabling us to attract and retain the best players in one of England’s richest footballing areas but also to help scores of young people and local schools enjoy the facilities.