Peter Schmeichel says Man Utd need 'best stadium in the world' in Old Trafford debate
The Dane enjoyed some memorable moments at the Theatre of Dreams.
Manchester United "need to have the best stadium in the world" but must do all they can to recreate Old Trafford's atmosphere, legendary former Red Devils goalkeeper Peter Schmeichel has told Radio Times.
The Premier League club announced in March that they had plans to build a 100,000-seater stadium as a replacement for the Theatre of Dreams.
The project, which includes regeneration of the area, would see Man Utd move away from the historic ground after more than 115 years there.
Schmeichel enjoyed nine years at Old Trafford as a player – making nearly 400 appearances as he helped Sir Alex Ferguson's side win five Premier League titles, three FA Cups, the League Cup, and the Champions League.
The Dane will be back at the Theatre of Dreams in June as part of the World XI management team at Soccer Aid 2025, and believes it is the true home of the celebrity charity match.
"I think Old Trafford is and should be the home of Soccer Aid," he explained. "That’s just a personal opinion because it’s been there eight times, and it just feels right. There will be 75,000 people there."
It's no secret that the historic ground has become outdated and has needed work for some time, but the decision to build a new stadium rather than renovating the existing one has proven controversial among Man Utd fans.
Schmeichel is split on whether it is the right call but is clear that the club needs to have the best facilities if it is to re-establish itself at the top of the pile.
He said: "It’s been announced but it’s not been financed. That’s a long, long way to go before they push the button.
"I don't know, if I'm honest, I'm kind of like 50/50 on it. I think it makes a lot of sense because it's such a big job to renovate Old Trafford, but I love Old Trafford. It’s my ground.
"There's something about Old Trafford when you're in there. How the stands have been built and the different levels of where the stands are and where people are. People are very close to the pitch.
"If you can recreate that, I don't think it's such a bad idea. I'm really seriously on the fence with this.
"What we do need is a better stadium. We’ve got the Euros in England coming up and we're not even one of the stadiums, so that just shows you where we are in terms of our facilities.
"I think we need to have the best stadium in the world. There's no doubt about that. We need to have the best training ground in the world. If we call ourselves one of the biggest clubs or we want to call ourselves the biggest club in the world, we need to have the best facilities."
Soccer Aid 2025 takes place on Sunday 15th June 2025, with tickets available for the clash at Old Trafford.
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