Liverpool buy back Melwood for women's training ground

Liverpool began training at Melwood in the 1950s

Liverpool have paid a reported £13m to buy back their old Melwood training ground for the women's team.

Liverpool sold the ground in 2019 to housing developer Torus and moved to a new training site in Kirkby in 2020.

The club will also use Melwood for the girls' academy and community projects.

"Now is the right time to make this move," said managing director Andy Hughes, who described it as "a new chapter of Liverpool's commitment to our women's first team and academy".

Torus' plans to build up to 160 houses on the site were met with 100 letters of opposition and a petition with 450 signatures.

"We have always taken the views of the local community seriously," said Hughes.

'A significant step' - analysis

Emma Sanders, BBC Sport

Liverpool have fallen behind their traditional English rivals in the women's game since their WSL title successes in 2013 and 2014, but this is a significant step back in the right direction.

Now one of the biggest clubs in the world will have a training centre befitting the women's professional team representing them.

When Jurgen Klopp's men's side moved to a new training ground, the women remained at Tranmere Rovers' Solar Campus, sharing facilities with the League Two club.

Several sites for a new training ground were considered across Merseyside but, although an earlier move was intended, Liverpool's patience has paid off and they have reached the most desirable outcome.

Further investment in Melwood's facilities is expected to take place, so the players will begin pre-season elsewhere before moving in well in advance of the 2023-24 WSL season.

They will continue to play their home matches at Tranmere's Prenton Park.