Gareth McAuley admits National Training Centre is of 'massive importance' to Northern Ireland and could inspire next generation

Northern Ireland U19 manager Gareth McAuley. PIC: William Cherry/Presseye

In September, the Irish Football Association reaffirmed their intention to move forward with plans for the facility, which would act as a “second home for Northern Ireland football” and that “all efforts will be exhausted to ensure that progress is expedited with the highest priority”.

While announcing the new Northern Ireland Football Fund last month which promised £36.2million to improve facilities, Communities Minister Gordon Lyons also confirmed that work continues to make it a reality.

"Work is progressing at pace on a National Training Centre for Football to host elite training for our national men’s, women’s and youth teams and to drive skills for people involved at all levels of the game,” Lyons said at the time. “I will be saying more on this in coming weeks."

McAuley has got to witness first-hand the standard of facilities at St George’s Park – a 330-acre site in Staffordshire which is the base for all coaching and development work undertaken by the Football Association since 2012 – while taking underage Northern Ireland teams across the water and their fascination with the complex.

Elsewhere, Scotland’s Oriam performance centre opened at Heriot-Watt University's Riccarton campus in August 2016, Wales’ Dragon Park in Newport is used to develop under-21, women's and younger age-group squads while the likes of Azerbaijan and Macedonia also have national training facilities.

"It's an important thing and I know there's a lot of work going on behind the scenes to bring that to fruition,” said McAuley. “I've been on the trips where we are driving up to St George's and they're all out with their phones.

"It's maybe an understated thing, but the value that can have in inspiring young players and giving them a home, giving them an identity, somewhere they can come train at and thrive at, there's a massive importance to that."

McAuley enjoyed two years with Coleraine before moving to Lincoln City and spent the last 15 years of his career in England and Scotland, but has continued to keep a close eye on the Irish League.

His former club are now set to go full-time, following in the footsteps of Glentoran, Larne and Linfield, and the 44-year-old is delighted to see the league continuing to progress.

"They had a full-time educational programme going and I know some of the coaches down there that I'm still in contact with,” he added. “It's another Irish League club going full-time and that's what we're aspiring to as a country.

"NIFL and the association are trying to move forward into that sort of model. Shielsy (Dean Shiels) has went in there and Oran (Kearney) has went upstairs...they are two great football people that I know well.

"The detail and environment they create will be good for any young player to play there and learn. Dean is great on the grass with coaching and developing.

"It's great to see and it's another step forward for the league which is always progressing every year. That's great and the young players that are here can be in those environments and the gap is closing."