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Flitcroft hails Carrington move

Image: David Flitcroft: Hoping Carrington will inspire his players

David Flitcroft called his Bury players and staff "the luckiest people alive" after the club moved into Carrington.

The Shakers announced on Tuesday that they had agreed a five-year lease with Manchester City, who now train at the City Football Academy next to the Etihad Stadium, to be the new tenants at multi-million pound training complex which is next door to Manchester United's home. Having trained primarily on one substandard council-owned pitch at Lower Gigg for Flitcroft's entire time at the JD Stadium, he can scarcely believe that he is now overseeing preparations at a facility boasting seven pitches, a gym, steam room, hydrotherapy pools and performance analysis suites. Speaking from the club's new state-of-the-art home, Flitcroft said: "It's a special place for us. "The players appreciate it, they're grateful for it, they've told the chairman about what it's done for them. We are the luckiest people alive." Bury chairman Stewart Day, a 33-year-old property developer who saved the club from financial ruin in May 2013, admitted City probably had plenty of other offers to take up residency at Carrington but believes his vision helped sway the club's hierarchy. "I'm sure Manchester City had a lot options on the table, and probably a lot of better financial options than ourselves, but they've seen what we were trying to do here," he added. "I can't thank them enough for allowing us to get into these facilities." Day believes there is little risk attached to this deal for his fourth-tier club and stressed they will consider loaning parts of Carrington out to "bring extra revenue streams in", while also highlighting the money they will save by not hiring other pitches for their first team and youth groups. "Other clubs might have had a fear with taking this on because they think it's a big complex to run, my fear was not taking this on," he said. "I knew where this would take the football club and what we're trying to achieve." City may have vacated the premises at the end of 2014 but the club's imagery, crest and mantras are still adorned across Carrington including the car-parking bays, with Bury's staff and players desperate to land the spot Sergio Aguero, Yaya Toure or David Silva used to use when they arrive in the mornings. Flitcroft revealed that he would consider keeping some of the City features in a bid to inspire his players to strive to be like the current Premier League champions. "The way they won the title from this building is something that will go down in history," noted the ex-Barnsley manager. "We've got to be really respectful. I'm inspired by seeing some of the Man City images around the place, you look and it makes you feel that passion and professionalism that is running through Manchester City."

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