Jamie Carragher is "excited", Steven Gerrard is "completely blown away", and Rafael Benitez calls it “ground-breaking”. The natural reaction to the unveiling of yet another new stadium design these days is often the discreet stifling of yawn – but images of the redesign of Liverpool’s new ground are eye-openingly different. The new stadium in Stanley Park is recognizably from a different generation to the identikit bowls of the Riverside Stadium, Pride Park or St Mary’s, and even Arsenal’s Emirates Stadium looks a bit dated by comparison.

An asymmetric design makes the exterior more a work of modern art than sports science, while the interior offers a significant nod to the club’s heritage, with the 18,000-seat Kop End a single tier, unbroken by lines of private boxes. The capacity is 60,000, with plans for expansion based on improved transport infrastructure.

The release of the images coincides with the submission of the official planning application to Liverpool City Council, with the facility scheduled to open in 2010 at a planned cost of £300 million. “When they took over, the first thing Tom [Hicks] and George [Gillett] wanted to do was review the stadium both in terms of the design and the capacity,” Rick Parry, the Liverpool chief executive, said. “This is the immensely impressive result of their deliberations. Our architects, HKS, have a wealth of experience and have fused a very contemporary and unique vision together with the values that are crucial to Liverpool Football Club.

“The asymmetric design sets it apart from other new stadia, as it is a clear move away from what is becoming the traditional bowl model. It recognises and makes reference to the fact that English football grounds were historically asymmetric. We make no apologies for that, we’ve gone out of our way to embrace that culture and it works exceptionally well for both the new ground and its location within Stanley Park. We’ve also recognised the central importance of the Kop. It will have a significantly increased capacity of 18,000 seats in a single tier structure that will be the heartbeat of the new stadium. The rake of the stand will be steeper and the seats tighter together, with the acoustics of the roof designed to accentuate the atmosphere during games.”

Players and management were equally enthusiastic “To be honest I knew it was going to be great but after spending five minutes looking at the plans I was just completely blown away by it,” Steven Gerrard, the club captain, said. “We are Liverpool Football Club and we expect the best and this will be the best. I’ve played in some special stadiums but this is something special and it’s so important that we are not seen to be copying off another club.”

Jamie Carragher, the former England defender, agreed. “Everyone is excited by the new plans,” he said. “They are spectacular. We’ve got a great stadium at the minute in Anfield, but the designers have come up with something completely unique. I’ve never seen a football ground like it and that’s what makes it so special. The fans will love it, especially when they see the plans for the new 18,000 seater Kop. That’s going to be some stand. It’s going to be modern and very hi-tech but it’s good to see that tradition hasn’t been overlooked. It’ll have the feel of an old ground, with the four distinctive stands, but it’ll be very much a new stadium. It provides me with the perfect motivation to remain at the top of my game because I want to still be in the team when we eventually move there.”

“The plans for the new stadium are absolutely fantastic,” Rafael Benitez, the manager, said. “The facilities the new stadium will provide are going to ensure that the future of this club is a great one and this is what our fans deserve. It looks very different to other stadiums I have seen. There are a lot of windows and it really is ground-breaking in terms of stadium design. I’m sure it will be considered as one of the best in Europe. Unfortunately, I cannot play anymore so I won’t be able to experience playing a match there but it would be fantastic for me to still be manager when we move and win lots of silverware there.”

Further negotiations are taking place between the club, Liverpool City Council and Merseyrail before a second planning application to increase the capacity can be submitted. At the moment, travelling to and from Anfield can be a frustrating activity, particularly for those attempting to use public transport, with the nearest Merseyrail station at Kirkdale a stiff walk away, and Lime Street Station best reached by taxi for spectators travelling from outside the city.

“We want a greater capacity and will consider putting in a second planning application when appropriate,” Parry said. “However, we fully recognise for this to happen that all the associated transport requirements need to be in place, which is why we, together with Liverpool City Council and Merseytravel, are investigating the possibility of re-opening the Bootle Branch railway line for passenger use. That would be a fantastic solution, not just for the club, but for all the people of North Liverpool.”