Robbie Fowler, Luis Garcia and Gary McAllister in China to Open Training Base

Former Liverpool and England footballer Robbie Fowler was in action at the official opening of the new Mission Hills Haikou Football Training Base in China and predicted it will not be long before the country is producing top-class football players.

Fowler was joined on the tropical island of Hainan by former Liverpool teammates Luis Garcia and Gary McAllister together with Manchester United legends Paul Scholes, Dwight Yorke, Lee Sharpe and David May.

Having competed for the inaugural World Legends Cup alongside a selection of local players, the stars were unanimous in praising the new RMB 640 million training facility and predicting a bright future for Chinese football.

“I think football will definitely grow here,” said Fowler. “It’s a country of a billion people so there’s bound to be some great players out there. With the concept here at Mission Hills, building all the pitches and getting football teams here, it might not be long before we see real top-class Chinese players.”

Scholes was also upbeat about the future for the sport in the country, “China football will benefit from the European players coming to play here in the Chinese Super League. For young people growing up watching these special players, it will give them more motivation to improve and be dedicated to practice.”

The impressive new Mission Hills Haikou Football Training Base spans a total of 350 square kilometres. With five full-size pitches and player accommodation already in place, the next phase will take the facility up to a total of 20 full-size pitches – six of them floodlit – plus a 1,000 square metre gym, a state-of-the-art medical centre, a canteen, three changing rooms and 20 indoor classrooms.

“Our aim is to help popularise football, a sport which is part of the Chinese dream,” said Dr Ken Chu, Chairman and CEO of the Mission Hills Group. “We chose Hainan for our Football Training Base because of the year-round weather, especially during the winter. It has been designed and built for players of all ages and abilities, from professional teams to amateur and youth organisations.”

Having displayed their legendary skills on the pitch, the football stars then turned their attention to golf competing in the 2016 Mission Hills World Celebrity Pro-Am over the weekend.

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