Northern Ireland manager Michael O'Neill says new National Training Centre will help build 'identity'
Plans to build a new state-of-the-art National Training Centre can help bring "familiarity and identity" to Northern Ireland, men's senior manager Michael O'Neill has said.
Proposals for a new 50-acre site at Galgorm, outside Ballymena, were launched on Wednesday, which are set to include "world-class pitches and cutting-edge training facilities".
The Irish FA said that they anticipate the new facility in partnership with the Galgorm group will be open in 2028, with planning permission still needing to be approved.
Throughout their recent history, Northern Ireland have had no permanent home for training and accommodation purposes but O'Neill reckons these new plans can help make preparation for games a lot easier.
He said: "It is game changing in terms of preparation of the team. We are a little bit nomadic at the minute which is always a challenge.
"There is consistency of familiarity of the players and quality of the pitch and everything around that.
"The younger players will have that familiarity and identity with Northern Ireland football and aspire to go on to play at senior international level.
"It will dramatically change how we can prepare the team in terms of stability.
"Having this facility, things will be taken care of."
O'Neill's recent squads have boasted a plethora of young players and the Northern Ireland chief highlighted how a National Training Centre can help inspire more talent through the conveyor belt.
"Young players' first real interaction with football is at grassroots level and they aspire from there to become elite young players," he added.
"Young players will experience this facility which is strong for building a player's identity.
"We have had to use various facilities and hotels across Northern Ireland and put training facilities onto that. Going forward we won't have to do that. The men's and women's senior teams will benefit greatly but we come together five times a year, we have limited access to the players but it will be a game changer in the sense of the wider influence on the game.
"When I was a young player we didn't have that exposure, their international journey starts at under 17 but a lot of work goes on beforehand that people don't see."