Taking on the USA - Lancashire fashion designer launches football team in California

WATCH: Grace Vella speaks to ITV Granada Reports sports correspondent Mike Hall

Three years ago, Grace Vella was launching a sports fashion business from her cousin's spare room in Skelmersdale, Lancashire.

Today, at her new headquarters in central Manchester, she's drawing up plans to take on the USA - on the football pitch.

Grace, aged 25, has made a huge success of her Miss Kick clothing range, a brand dedicated to empowering sportswomen. As the business has grown, so too have her ambitions.

The former Liverpool and Manchester City player has now launched her own football team, Miss Kick FC, which will play in the Women's Premier Soccer League in the USA - the biggest women's football league in the world.

Based in Irvine, California, the team will be managed by Scott Juniper and will boast a combination of high profile American internationals, including Olympic gold medallist Natasha Kai-Marks, alongside some of the most promising young players in the USA.

"It's crazy," said Grace. "We were just talking within the team about our ambitions for the brand and we've always said America is such a huge market and it's such an exciting country.

"So we were like, we want to go and have a piece of that.

"I feel like I'm very lucky to be where I am and get the opportunity to work with so many amazing people to try to grow the brand."

Head Coach Scott Juniper added: "I've coached women's teams in this league in the past, but this is something a little different. This has a real mission behind it, the growth of the game."

Miss Kick FC begin their WPSL campaign on 27 May against FC Golden State.