Lord Coe wants to transform Old Trafford not just build a stadium

Lord Coe has said he is as excited by the plans to create thousands of homes and jobs as he is about the new Old Trafford stadium he is spearheading.

The former Olympian is chairman of the Mayoral Development Corporation behind the project that will see Manchester United's new ground built, and more than 15,000 homes and 48,000 jobs created.

He told the BBC there was "no point in letting [the stadium] sit alone without the massive legacy benefits you can get".

The masterplan is set to be signed off by Trafford Council on 21 July, triggering an eight-week consultation period that will begin with 14,000 letters going out to local businesses and residents.

Lord Coe - who won two gold and two silver Olympic medals during his running career - said he was "enthused by the thought that there's going to be a world-class, iconic football stadium", adding: "I love football and sport changes lives, particularly of young people.

He said: "We're going to create cohesive, inclusive and engaging communities for people.

"And we're going to improve educational attainment and health outcomes and create 15,000 homes in the first wave.

"I'm excited by that."

Aside from his own gold medal-winning performances on the track, Coe is synonymous with leading the successful London 2012 Olympic bid and then becoming chairman of the London Organising Committee for Games.

The 69-year-old pointed to how the Montjuic area of Barcelona was transformed by the 1992 Olympics.

"Nobody ever travelled to (that area)," he said. "It was derelict wharf land. Now it's a new city inside an old one. London was a good example of that.

"So, for the catalytic impact of having sport sitting at the heart of the project, first of all, people understand that.

"People love sport and they love sport here in a way that few other parts of the world really get.

"Secondly, there's always a timeline involved with sports. The stadium needs to be constructed, and you've got events you want to put into it.

"That brings a sort of an intellectual rigour to the other parts of the project as well."

Specific designs for the stadium are not expected to be unveiled until later in 2026 or early in 2027.

But Man Utd has already said it hopes to be able to host Women's World Cup matches in 2035.

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