According to Jon Walters, Stoke City’s recent £12 million training ground investment is a declaration of purpose.

At Clayton Wood, Stoke is beginning construction on a brand-new, cutting-edge first team building. Walters, the sporting director, is optimistic that it will provide players and staff with the opportunity to reach their greatest potential without any justifications.

He declared, “This is first class.” As a player, you’re hoping to get everything out of yourself when you come here. There are no justifications. Additionally, we want to confirm that it is not a comfortable environment. We must

provide players with all the resources they need to perform well on the field, all the tools they need to recuperate, and a space where people want to come and strive to reach their full potential. That must be the attitude. It is what we expect from each and every employee and player.

We’re not here to sit back, and as a club, we’re making that clear to everyone in the league, here, and everywhere else. We continue to strive for improvement, as you are aware, and the five-year plan is being extended to seven years. We need the individuals in a place like this to help us keep moving forward because we want to go somewhere and become better than we have ever been.

This structure is a component of the training ground and stadium’s extensive investment program, which was first planned to last five years but will ultimately prove to be continuing.

Due to Financial Fair Play regulations, Stoke is restricted in their ability to spend on transfers; nevertheless, chairman John Coates is permitted to sign checks for infrastructure and will contribute roughly £30 million over seven years.

According to Walters, it primarily demonstrates the owners’ mindset and the course they wish to take the football team. This is a component of a larger project that sends a message to all members of the club about our goals and where we want to be.

It demonstrates that this is a team that is not resting on its laurels by drawing in players of all ages, as well as those who are coming through the academy or from other clubs. As a sporting director, it is incredible to have a £12 million building on top of our already excellent, Premier League-caliber facility.

“It demonstrates John Coates’ support, and his desire to advance and motivate the team is encouraging to me and aligns with my mindset, which is where I want to take the team and a mentality change at the club.” In the past six or seven years, we haven’t been higher than fourteenth, and it takes more than a coincidence to truly get that focus and mentality adjustment. It’s only going in one direction, in my opinion, when you have an owner like John behind you, putting his love and passion for the team into the players and staff.