On seeing what looked like two huge bomb craters in one of the playing surfaces, he asked “have the Germans been here?”[2] Shankly and his staff subsequently sought to transform Melwood into a top-class training facility.

[7] In January 2001 Liverpool started work on the Millennium Pavilion, a modern facility for players and coaches, designed in part and heavily influenced by then manager Gérard Houllier.

Even the management area received a significant upgrade, with his new office featuring ceiling-to-floor glass windows, situated on the first floor overlooking the training pitches.

[8] When Liverpool won the UEFA Champions League for the fifth time in 2005, Rafael Benítez found a new home for the famous trophy, a glass case in the main entrance.

Upgrades were made to the changing rooms, a new main entrance was built which housed a bust of Shankly's head next to his famous 'We Are Liverpool' quote, and The Champions Wall was added.

[10][11] On June 8, 2023, Liverpool Football Club officially announced that it had re-purchased the iconic landmark to once again serve as a dedicated training base, as it had done for 70 years.

[12][13] In the summer of 2023, Melwood once again went through refurbishment, redevelopment and upgrades, and on 8 September 2023 officially re-opened as a training facility once again with a ceremony welcoming the Women’s first team.

Due to size constraints of the site and obvious secrecy issues associated with Melwood, in 2017 LFC revealed a plan of a proposed redevelopment of the Kirkby centre at a cost of £50 million, allowing the first team to move training to the expanded facility.

The Kirkby plan was expected to be completed before the 2019–20 season,[17] allowing subsequent redevelopment of Melwood from summer 2020 onwards into 160 homes, mixed between detached and semi-detached properties, with an enclosed community amenity space.