England's new women's head coach Mark Sampson will take charge of the side for the first time at La Manga Club next month as Spain's flagship resort prepares to start a busy three-month period that will see football stars of the present and future showcase their skills at the award-winning venue.

Europe's premier sports and leisure destination will host a warm weather training camp for Sampson's 30-strong squad from January 12-18, while it will also provide the stage for teenagers from all over Europe to demonstrate their talents in two international under-17 and under-19 tournaments.
England's six-day visit to La Manga Club will be the first time that the players have worked at length with Sampson since he was named as Hope Powell's replacement at the start of this month.

As well as putting the squad through their paces on the training ground, England's new head coach will also have the chance to see his players in competitive action for the first time when they face Norway in a friendly on January 17.

Sampson said: "We've got lots of new faces in the squad and that gives me a good opportunity to see where we are at and will help me make some decisions as we move forward. "It is a training camp, it's important to emphasise that. The door is fully open for every player. If they perform well for their club and they show that they want to play for England and do well then they'll have a great opportunity to be involved in future squads."
The early-year camp at La Manga Club has become an established part of the England women's calendar and they are just one of the international teams who will head to the five-star resort this spring to make use of its world-class facilities - which include eight international standard grass pitches.
Budding stars of the future from countries including Portugal, Norway, Poland, Denmark, Turkey Sweden and Slovakia will compete in international under-17 and under-19 tournaments in February, while an international girls' under-19 tournament featuring the likes of England, Scotland, Italy, Norway, Denmark, USA and Sweden will take place a month later.

La Manga Club has made a name for itself catering for the needs of the world's sporting elite, and earlier this month Barcelona joined a list of clubs including Real Madrid, Borussia Dortmund, Shakhtar Donetsk and more than 60 other teams who have taken advantage of its five-star facilities in the last 12 months.

As well as its football training amenities, the resort boasts a fully equipped gym and indoor swimming pool, ideal for recovery sessions; and a host of rooms and spaces to cater for tactical meetings, private team dining or any other requirements. 
Set in 1,400 acres, La Manga Club boasts unrivalled facilities as a sports and leisure destination including three 18-hole championship golf courses, a 28-court tennis centre and a 2,000sqm spa and fitness centre. It also offers the choice of a five-star hotel, four-star serviced apartments and townhouses and more than 20 bars and restaurants. 

For more information about professional sports breaks at La Manga Club, contact Chad Harpur on +34 968 33 1234, email chad.harpur@lamangaclub.com .

For further details about the resort and to book, phone +34 968 17 5577, email reservas@lamangaclub.com or visit www.lamangaclub.com .

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For more information on La Manga Club or images contact Pete Simm on 01730 711920 or email petes@theazaleagroup.com 

La Manga Club - www.lamangaclub.com - is an unrivalled sports and leisure paradise which sits between the low hills that separate the Mediterranean from the Mar Menor Sea, just 20 minutes from Murcia airport and an hour from Alicante.  

Set out over an area of some 560 hectares (approx. 1,400 acres), it enjoys a mild year-round Mediterranean climate and offers visitors a prestigious five-star hotel, luxury vacation apartments and extensive sports facilities, including three championship golf courses, a 28-court tennis centre and eight grass sports pitches. The resort is also home to innumerable leisure facilities, such as the 2,000m2 Spa La Manga Club with its 13 luxurious treatment rooms, comprehensive fitness centre and 25m indoor swimming pool; meeting, banqueting and incentive facilities, and more than 20 restaurants and bars. 

As well as hosting both Davis and Fed Cup tennis matches, La Manga Club has signed a long-term deal to be the overseas training resort of the Lawn Tennis Association (LTA) until 2016. It has also staged the Spanish Open golf championship and regularly attracts professional and international football teams to the first-class year-round training facilities which are also used by rugby and cricket sides.

As a result of more than 40 years of continued investment, innovation and commitment to excellence, La Manga Club is widely recognised as Spain's flagship resort and as one of the finest sports and lifestyle destinations in the world. Evidence of this is provided by its numerous awards and accolades.
La Manga Club was the proud recipient of a 2013 Certificate of Excellence from TripAdvisor, the world's largest travel website, for the facilities and service on offer at its five-star Hotel Principe Felipe. The resort has long been a staunch supporter of women's golf, being the official overseas resort partner of the English Women's Golf Association for three years as well as hosting the Ladies European Tour (LET) Qualifying School from 2009-12. La Manga Club is also the venue for the Ladies Murcia Open, an LET Access Series event, and regularly hosts top women's amateur events and teams.