BURY manager David Flitcroft admits he had to pinch himself after the club sealed a five-year lease for Manchester City’s former Carrington training base.

The deal for the 22-acre site, which includes six turf pitches, an artificial pitch and a fitness and medical centre, was sealed on Tuesday.

It will allow the League Two club’s academy and youth sides to train side-by-side with the first team, with all players and staff due to move from their current base at Lower Gigg to Carrington on Sunday.

Flitcroft believes the move could turn out to be one of the most significant moments in the Shakers’ 130-year history.

"I have to pinch myself – it is, in my opinion, the biggest deal in this club’s history,” he said.

“As we set out on this journey, the biggest component that myself and the chairman discussed was a state-of-the-art training complex.

“Never in my wildest dreams did I expect to become the manager of a football club based every day at one of the top-10 football training centres in the country.

“It gives us a massive opportunity to deliver on our objective of developing saleable assets and will leave a long-lasting legacy for Bury Football Club.

“The foundations for the club’s long-term business plan have been firmly laid.”

Chairman Stewart Day described the deal as a “signal of intent” as he bids to make good on his promise to guide the club into the Championship by 2018.

And chief executive Glenn Thomas believes the training complex would have a significant impact on the club’s ability to attract and develop young players.

“We are (already) creating players at all age groups that are attracting interest from Premier league clubs. The academy will now be seen as one of the best in the country,” he added.

Day and Thomas have worked hard behind the scenes to find an alternative to the club’s current training ground ever since they took over in the summer of 2013.

A deal to team up with Bury Grammar School and relocate there was close to being concluded last year.

But the club’s board is also known to have been assessing land in the Bury area to build their own training base.

It is not yet clear if either plan has been shelved indefinitely, but the five-year agreement with City would at least give the club time to raise sufficient investment to fund any future development.