Premier League: Man Utd showcase Old Trafford upgrades ahead of Leeds United match
It's been 17 months since Manchester United last played in front of a capacity crowd - a 2-0 win over Manchester City - and as the Red Devils prepare for their 2021/22 Premier League season opener, much has changed inside Old Trafford as rivals Leeds United come to town on Saturday.
United have been working tirelessly during the pandemic to provide a Covid secure and safe environment for fans to return, aided by a partnership with hygiene specialists Ecolab, who'll ensure stadium sanitisation is of the highest level with the addition of 750 sanitisation stations across Old Trafford.
While Covid protocols have been at the forefront of plans to get Old Trafford back up and running this summer, the club have also taken advantage of the time to make some other changes to the stadium, which includes a remodelling of both the home and away changing rooms plus the introduction of rail seating.
The playing surface has been completely overseeded for the new campaign while £11million has been invested to upgrade their accessibility facilities after consultation with the club's disability supporters' association.
Old Trafford now also boasts 1,500 rail seats for fans in the north east quadrant and the club's 'atmosphere section' in the Stretford End has been expanded by around 50 per cent to 2,500 seats.
Elsewhere, an LED floodlighting system has been installed with the aim of improving the experience for players and fans at Old Trafford while making a significant difference to the quality of broadcast pictures for those watching on TV.
The improvements don't end there - United are aiming to keep pace with Tottenham's new £1billion arena and Real Madrid's new-look Bernabeau after it was put to United owner Joel Glazer that the club needs to significantly increase investment in and around Old Trafford, as well as the club's training complex at Carrington.
With full fan attendance at Old Trafford on Saturday, new signings ready to be unleashed and months of preparation - United have one last task at hand - to land their first silverware since victory over Ajax in the 2017 Europa League final.
