Former Liverpool and England footballer Robbie Fowler was in action at the official opening of the new Mission Hills Haikou Football Training Base in China and predicted it would not be long for China to produce top-class football players.

Fowler was joined on the tropical island of Hainan by former Liverpool teammates Luis Garcia and Gary McAllister together with Manchester United legends Paul Scholes, Dwight Yorke, Lee Sharpe and David May.

Having competed for the inaugural World Legends Cup alongside a selection of local players, the stars were unanimous in praising the new 640 million yuan (about 95 million US dollars) training facility and predicting a bright future for Chinese football.

"I think football will definitely grow here," said Fowler. "It's a country of a billion people so there's bound to be some great players out there. With the concept here at Mission Hills, building all the pitches and getting football teams here, it might not be long before we see real top-class Chinese players."

Scholes was also upbeat about the future for the sport in the country: "China football will benefit from the European players coming to play here in the Chinese Super League. For young people growing up watching these special players, it will give them more motivation to improve and be dedicated to practice."

The impressive new Mission Hills Haikou Football Training Base spans a total of 350 square kilometers. With five full-size pitches and player accommodation already in place, the next phase will take the facility up to a total of 20 full-size pitches - six of them floodlit - plus a 1,000 square metre gym, a state-of-the-art medical center, a canteen, three changing rooms and 20 indoor classrooms.

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