Thursday 22 March 2018 19:18, UK
Manchester United Women have the potential to be hugely successful, says former England goalkeeper Rachel Brown-Finnis.
United announced plans to establish their fist ever professional women's team in the second tier of the Women's Super League on Wednesday.
The club are the only Premier League side without a women's team after they disbanded their side in 2005.
Brown-Finnish said she was "overjoyed" with the announcement and feels the time is right for a women's team to be reintroduced.
"It had to be the right time for them," Brown-Finnis told Sky News. "They wanted the women's team to be made in the image of the men's team and that is to be a professional brand.
"As it stands, the players who are available now in this country and across the world can become an asset to the club. Not just financially, but I think they realise that it is the right thing to do.
"I don't feel that they will have been coerced into this. It is a decision that they have made at a time that is right for them. I have no doubt that it is going to be a global success.
"It had to be the right time for them. They wanted the women's team to be made in the image of the men's team and that is to be a professional brand.
"As it stands, the players who are available now in this country and across the world can become an asset to the club. Not just financially, but I think they realise that it is the right thing to do.
"I don't feel that they will have been coerced into this. It is a decision that they have made at a time that is right for them. I have no doubt that it is going to be a global success."
On following the example set by neighbours City, Brown-Finnis added: "What Manchester City have done is an excellent blueprint for them to follow. They started up their women's team as a professional outfit just five years ago and joined the WSL1.
"They started from scratch but they are fully integrated with the men's team. If they were to do it the same way City have done, I have absolutely no doubt that they will become a success and be able to draw some of the biggest names from across the world eventually but it is not going to happen overnight."
