The Football Association had twice attempted to develop a National Football Centre on land that it owned near Burton-upon-Trent. These attempts were previously thwarted by lack of funding, planning constraints or lack of consensus over the vision and purpose of the Centre.

In 2010, Dan Anderson was appointed to work with the Board of the National Football Centre Ltd to conceive a sustainable, fundable solution.

Dan marshalled and managed a team of specialist consultants from the hotel, health care and investment sectors.

He liaised closely with the NFC Board and its wider design and professional team to ensure that the resulting vision, concept and design were fully informed by extensive market research and detailed financial modelling.

Confident that the project was financially viable, he then managed the team that secured a 30-year management contract with Hilton Worldwide and a 15-year lease for Spire Hospitals. Working with investment specialists, he then helped to secure a forward funding deal through Legal & General worth almost £50 million. This deal was central to obtaining final FA approvals for the project.

The National Football Centre at St George’s Park was delivered on-time and on-budget in 2012.

It is now one of the world’s most advanced training grounds and sports science facilities. It is not just England’s ‘home of football’, but has become an elite sport training destination for national sides and professional clubs from around the world.

St George’s Park was central to The FA’s long term football development strategy, playing a major part in organisational, cultural and training changes that brought the senior men’s England team to a World Cup semi-final in 2018 and a Euros final in 2021.