Southampton Football Club (SFC) has unveiled plans for the construction of a new two-storey building as part of a redevelopment of its training ground facilities in Marchwood, Hampshire.

The new 1,500sq m (16,145.9sq ft) venue will replace the club's existing main building at the Staplewood Training Centre under the plans, which have been submitted to New Forest District Council and include a gymnasium, changing rooms and staff offices. A players' restaurant and lounge, a spa area, medical and treatment rooms and a media area have also been earmarked as part of the development, which aims to be one of the most eco-friendly venues of its kind across Europe.

Farnrise Construction has been appointed project managers for the scheme, which will also see the existing 'Stadium Pitch' - currently used by the club's reserve team - boast a new low-level, tiered terrace. SFC executive chair Nicola Cortese said: "The building will be of a striking and contemporary design, using the very latest environmentally friendly materials, and very importantly will boast low energy, high efficiency engineered systems.

"We feel that although the current facilities were perfectly adequate whilst we were in the Premiership, but the football world has moved on dramatically in these past years, and as such we have fallen behind. This will no longer be the case at Southampton Football Club. We have the aim to be top of the pile and we want our statement to set trends." Image: Nicola Cortese with a model of the proposed new training ground