Gareth McAuley hails the importance of a National Training Centre to help develop the next generation of talent

Gareth McAuley believes having a National Training Centre in Northern Ireland can further inspire the country's rising talent by giving them "a home and an identity". The IFA has been pushing for a state-of-the-art facility for a number of years, with the project a key component of the association's 2022-27 corporate strategy roadmap.

But we are nearly halfway through that strategy and significant progress is still to be made. A site to house all of Northern Ireland's international teams is still to be nailed down.

Men's record goalscorer David Healy blasted the "lack of progress" whilst speaking as a pundit during the defeat to Kazakhstan last September. At the time IFA chief executive Patrick Nelson said Healy was "entitled to his view" but added the construction of a training centre was an "active and ongoing" project.

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Under-19 boss McAuley is currently preparing with his squad for the European Championships which are being held in the province next month. And whilst he praised the facilities on offer at the likes of the Blanchflower Stadium the former international defender said bringing the National Training Centre to fruition would help the development of the next generation of talent even further.

“For what we do, it’s an important project," said McAuley. "I know a lot of work is going on behind the scenes in bringing that to fruition.

“In terms of the environment, I would use a facility like the Blanchflower Stadium as much as possible and use it like a training ground. I would bring them down early so they are together for an extra 30 or 40 minutes.

“The younger players who go to St George’s are out with their phones and cameras and saying ‘wow, look at this’. It’s maybe an understated thing, but the value that can have in inspiring young players and giving them a home and identity, somewhere where they can train and improve is important. The ladies team can also thrive in that environment, so it has a massive importance.”

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