England Women’s midfielder Jill Scott believes the Academy Stadium is the perfect venue for women’s football.
The 7,000-seater venue is at the heart of Manchester City’s new £200m training complex – and is home to their Women’s side and academy teams.
It is also where Mark Sampson’s Lionesses entertain China in their final home match before the World Cup.
England v China
A Women's International
7.30pm, Thursday 9 April
Academy Stadium, Manchester
Tickets priced £5 adults, £2.50 children
Buy via MCFC.co.uk/Tickets
Scott is one of four City players named in the squad – and she knows just how good the new stadium is.
She said: “I think it’s the perfect venue for a women’s football match. It is a fantastic stadium in the middle a fantastic facility.
“It’s a great place to play football – and hopefully a great place for us to get a win to send us off to the World Cup on a high.”
The China match will be the first-ever international to be played at the Academy Stadium – and the first England Women’s match to be hosted in Greater Manchester since England’s 1-0 win over Holland in Salford in June 2012.
And Scott is delighted the Academy Stadium can be added to the list of grounds where England have played.
She added: “I think it’s great that we play around the country rather than just down south because it gives the fans from up north the chance to come and watch us.
Academy Stadium (photo courtesy of Manchester City FC)
“I know that since the game [was] announced there has been a lot of positive feedback from fans.
“The more grounds we can go to all over the country the better. I’m hoping we’ll be able to sell out.”
The 28-year-old was a member of the England squad that won the Cyprus Cup earlier this month – she was also involved in the other two triumphs, in 2009 and 2013.
Scott, who is just 11 caps shy of 100, started the 3-0 win over Australia and the 1-0 win over Canada in the final. And she reflected positively on a successful two weeks by the Mediterranean.
She said: “The aim when we sat down on that first day was that we wanted to win the tournament.
“We got our heads down and worked hard for two weeks and got the results on the pitch.
“Everybody did well. That was one of the most pleasing things. Any 11 could have played in any game and there was always a good performance. That’s really pleasing because in a tournament we know it’s not just going to be about eleven players, it’s going to be about the squad.
'It’s the perfect venue in the middle a fantastic facility'
Jill Scott
“It’s always good to play the best teams. That’s when you learn the most. In the World Cup qualifiers we had a few easy games which ended 9-0 and 10-0 and I think it’s always good that you test yourself against the top nations.”
Now Scott is preparing for one final home match before England board the plane to Canada in the summer.
China are 16th in the FIFA rankings and next Thursday’s encounter means Mark Sampson’s squad will have faced 10 of the top 16 nations in the world in the last 15 months.
Scott said: “I think we are really getting to where we need to be. China will be another good test. Hopefully we can do some things well, and I’m sure there will be things we can learn from the game.
“It will be good to get the group together before we leave for the World Cup. We need to keep striving to be in the best possible condition come June.”
Tickets are on sale now, priced £5 for adults and £2.50 for children. A family ticket (two adults and two children) is £10 and group booking discounts apply.
Tickets are available via www.MCFC.co.uk/Tickets or in person at the Manchester City box office at Etihad Stadium.
