Celtic have been given the green light to carry out a major re-development of the Barrowfield Training Centre.

The club will plough "significant investment" into the works to transform the centre into a "state of the art" complex - which will take around 12-15 months to complete.

Once completed, the facility will be used to host Celtic boys and girls academies and will be a dedicated training base for Celtic FC Women.

The new complex will feature an indoor arena, a combination of outdoor natural grass and artificial pitches, gym and fitness facilities, offices for the Celtic academy and women's team, new changing rooms, medical suits for player treatment, a sports science centre, analysis centre and classroom facilities.

The Lennoxtown training complex will remain as the dedicated site for the first-team and B team with further improvements underway there.

A club statement added: "Final planning details for the new Centre will be confirmed very soon and it is hoped that work will begin on site shortly, with the project taking around 12-15 months to complete.

"Celtic’s Lennoxtown Training Centre, which opened in 2007, will continue to be the dedicated headquarters for our men’s first-team football operations, including the Celtic FC B team. 

"Further improvements are also currently being made at our Lennoxtown Training Centre, with first-team changing areas being fully refurbished and extended, the introduction of a new medical/treatment, sports science space and staff offices, and the extension and refurbishment of B Team areas. "

Celtic chairman Peter Lawwell said:  “We are delighted to agree this commitment and we are certain it will be an important and positive investment in the Club’s future. 

"During the Club’s illustrious history, so many young players have come through Celtic Football Club’s own development system to grace the first-team and through the new centre, with greatly improved facilities, we aim for even more success in this area.

“While there were opportunities to develop elsewhere, Celtic was born and has been raised in the East End of the City and it is right that we maintain this presence in the local community, in a place where so many Celtic Legends have been made.”  

Brendan Rodgers commented:  “Today’s announcement is very significant news for the Club and will give our young players, boys and girls every opportunity to develop further. 

"I know the Club always aims to be the best in everything it does and the new centre demonstrates Celtic’s real commitment to this area.

"Ultimately, the aim of our Academy is to develop first-team players who reach first-team level and I know these great new facilities can support this objective very positively.  

'I am sure the new complex will be welcomed by our coaches and young players and of course, our women’s first-team, giving them all every opportunity to grow and improve in all areas of their work.'

“Some of our greatest Celtic heroes have taken the journey from Barrowfield to Celtic Park and we hope our new centre will assist many more in doing the same.”

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Women's team boss Fran Alonso added: “I am very excited about the Barrowfield development plans, I believe this new facility can be huge for the women’s team and a real game changer.  

"The facility will allow for all-weather training with the best of resources and will provide the first team and the girls’ Academy with a great new dedicated base where we can develop further.    

“I know the team continues to inspire so many young girls through their play and their achievements and we now want to do all we can to reach for higher levels.  

“We have enjoyed some real success in the last few years and we are all committed to taking this team even further – the new facilities which the Club are developing will be crucial in achieving this.” 

And chief executive Michael Nicholson said:  “We are proud to commit to this significant new development and we are sure it will be one which will deliver great benefit to the Club for many years to come.

“Supporting the development of young players and investing in women’s football are two key elements of the Club’s strategy and the new training centre will be hugely important in supporting our objectives in these areas. 

“Some of the Club’s greatest ever players have been trained and developed through its Academy system and we hope that many more young players will follow in their footsteps, benefitting from this new facility, with the ultimate aim of reaching Celtic’s first teams.

“It was also very important for us to provide our Women’s first team with a high quality, dedicated training centre, to allow the team to build on the great success they have been enjoying.”