I'm a Man United fan and new Old Trafford needed to happen - but one thing shouldn't be forgotten

“Welcome to the Theatre of Dreams, the HOME of the world’s greatest football club and the HOME of Manchester United.”

Those tend to be the words spoken by Old Trafford’s stadium announcer, Alan Keegan, before every home game.

But before we know it, United will have a new stadium, a new home, which will feel like moving out of your old, cramped, family house, where you’ve grown up with so many memories; into this new mansion, which looks a bit funny, and is filled with uncomfortable furniture you’ve never seen before.

It was announced at the end of February that Manchester United were planning to build a brand-new stadium within the next five to six years.

From the initial images, I thought ‘oh no, not another soulless bowl’, it looked like a spaceship which didn’t suit the aesthetics and culture of Manchester. But what was I to expect? The ‘best stadiums in the world’ are all shiny, new and look nothing like their previous structures.

Two weeks ago, United released more details on the design, highlighting the intricacies of their new stadium plans. The 23-minute video answered a lot more of the initial questions that I had.

Details such as: Where the Stretford End will be and what it will look like? What will happen with the Munich tunnel, clock and also the Trinity Statue? Will it only be built to accommodate those in hospitality seats?

But here are the key things I took away after watching. They are planning to:

Take hospitality completely out of the Stretford End

Integrate the concourses so friends and family who sit at different ends of the stadium can meet up beforehand

Keep the Old Trafford flags/ ‘Stretty Flags’

Still decide on whether to keep the red corner tunnel, or to go back to original, walking out from