English soccer club Tottenham Hotspur have begun work on a new US$50 million training ground that chairman Daniel Levy believes will be the best in Europe.

"Today marks a significant stage in a long and at times challenging journey to deliver a new training facility for Spurs here at Bulls Cross, one that will be the best in Europe," said Levy. "Any club with aspirations needs a world-class training centre in order to be able to attract and train top quality players. The club has worked extremely closely with Enfield Council and Lee Valley Regional Park Authority, and I should like to thank them for their help in making this vision a reality.

"We are also totally committed to further developing our community programmes in Enfield with a major investment of £2.3m and look forward to a long and mutually beneficial partnership with the London Borough of Enfield."

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Levy also made clear that the money for the training ground was ringfenced, and would in no way impact on the team's transfer budget. Club captain Ledley King said: "Having come through the ranks here at Spurs and understanding the value and importance the club places on developing home-grown talent, this facility will provide a fantastic platform for our academy."

The facility has even won praise from the FA, with Lord Triesman, the governing body's chairman, saying: "The development of the new Tottenham Hotspur Training Centre is a significant contribution to raising the level of facilities and resources available for football in this country. This world class facility also highlights the club's commitment to invest in the nurturing and development of home-grown talent, something the FA strongly welcomes."