EVERTON LADIES goalkeeper Rachel Brown has welcomed the formation of the new FA Women’s Super League – and immediately set her sights on winning the inaugural trophy.

The 30-year-old England stopper believes the arrival of the FA’s new, £3m semi-professional set-up – which starts on Monday – is a key development in the growth of the women’s game in the UK, and says the increase in exposure and media coverage will be vital in attracting new supporters.

“It’s been a long time coming, and now it is upon us I’m so excited for it,” said Brown, “I wish it had happened a few years ago to be honest.

“People say that women’s football is not as far forward as it should be, but from when I started 15 years ago, it has come such a long way. The standard has improved incredibly, and there are now more than a million girls playing football in this country, which is just phenomenal.

“When I first started, there were no girls teams, there was no centre of excellence for girls, there were no U17/19/23 teams. There was just a senior international side. So in so many ways the game has progressed since then, and hopefully the WSL is just a stepping stone towards bigger and better things.

“The fact that the WSL is a summer league will help everyone. It means there will not be much men’s football on, which in turn means we will not be having games cancelled like in the winter. So hopefully we’ll build momentum and develop a good fanbase.”

Brown’s side open their own campaign a week on Thursday, with a trip to face local rivals Liverpool. And the Burnley-born international, who began her career with the Reds as a 15-year-old, hopes games such as this will help create an entertaining spectacle in the new league.