West Ham prepare for return to action with training session at St George's Park

Sam Allardyce will tap into the facilities at St George’s Park as he prepares West Ham for their return to action against Stoke.



Allardyce, always among football’s leading advocates of sports science and new technology, will take his squad to train at the FA’s national football centre in Staffordshire on Friday before the game at the Britannia Stadium.



The Hammers have not played for a fortnight since losing at Everton but eased relegation concerns with four wins in a row in February.



New methods: Sam Allardyce (right) will take his West Ham players to St George's Park

St George’s Park is becoming a popular venue for team’s travelling to play in the area. Chelsea stopped off ahead of their FA Cup tie at Derby in January and Newcastle plan to visit ahead of their game against Stoke in April.



This week, West Ham will arrive and cross paths with Minnesota United, the first North American team to use the FA training centre.



Minnesota United play in the NASL, the second tier in the USA and Canada, and have chosen the facilities as part of their pre-season training because they were keen to train on grass, rather than the indoor synthetic surfaces in Minnesota.



Break: West Ham have not played since losing to Everton at Goodison Park almost two weeks ago

On the money: Romelu Lukaku celebrates his goal against West Ham for Everton

The NASL season starts next month and they are in the middle of a nine-night stay which includes games against Matlock Town and a Derby County XI and coach Manny Lagos has tried to soak his players in the culture of English football, by taking them to see Derby against Bolton in the Championship and Aston Villa against Chelsea in the Barclays Premier League.



'We wanted to get out on the grass and that’s why we chose here,' said Lagos. 'We are here to work and get better. The biggest thing is the training side, and we’re combining it with playing some games and the culture of English football. It’s a unique experience and we are enjoying being at one of the epicentres of soccer.'



More than 80 professional teams have used St George’s Park since it opened in 2012.



Others include: Monaco, Galatasaray, Steaua Bucharest, Celtic, Norwich, Stoke, Fulham, Sheffield Wednesday, Nottingham Forest, Charlton, Blackpool, Wycombe, Brighton, Huddersfield, Millwall, Yeovil, Notts County, Bury, Sheffield United, Bradford, Burton, Port Vale and Bristol City.

Training days: Minnesota United are also taking advantage of the facilities at St George's Park

Visiting: Minnesota United are preparing for the start of the NASL season next month



