David Villa: New Facility Changes Everything

David Villa believes that the importance of our new City Football Academy training facility in Orangeburg cannot be overstated.

New York City FC’s first-ever player has been there from the very beginning of this journey and is already excited to be moving into our permanent home in early 2018.

RELATED: NYCFC Announce Plans for New Training Facility

Major League Soccer’s joint-top scorer describes plans to construct a new first-team center and training pitch in Rockland County as “an important step for the Club” and is ready to take this next “big step” in the young history of the team.

Villa told NYCFC.com: “It’s such a great feeling. Right now we’re doing well in Purchase, but to have our own training grounds that we can call our own is a really big step for the club.

“The club is still young and needs to keep taking steps, but this is a big one. I can’t wait to be there. We’re all so excited and fortunate to be taking this big step.

“It will change everything – in regards to the first team. In regards to what the team needs, it will be simpler for us, and much more comfortable for us and the trainers and the people that work day-to-day for the club.”

The new training facility has been designed by Rafael Vinoly, the New York based architect behind the City Football Academy facilities in Manchester, UK and Melbourne, Australia.

Villa believes that the impact of moving into NYCFC’s first-ever permanent home and benefitting from the elite amenities it will possess, could be felt for generations to come.

“We’ll have all of the facilities in the world to be there,” David explained.

“We know the club has been spending a lot of time and money so that the team can adjust and it’s our responsibility as players to use the facilities as much as possible to be a very competitive club.

“Like I said, we’re a young club and we’re creating something great for the future, an important presence, and to have this facility training for the future will be really great for the club - for the guys at the academy so they can learn more about soccer, and of course for the first-team so they can enjoy their new home.”

Head Coach Patrick Vieira and Sporting Director Claudio Reyna have both commented on the importance of having somewhere to call home to make NYCFC a competitive force in MLS for years to come – a sentiment echoed by the team’s no.7.

RELATED: Vieira: We're Building a Home

Villa added: “This is our home; we’re creating something that will be ours. A place to come together.”