Former Leicester City and England star Emile Heskey has said women’s football has ‘always been big’ it just hasn’t had the ‘same visibility’ as the men’s game.

Heskey was recently announced as an ambassador for City’s women’s side with his role including helping the players develop after the women’s club turned full-time professional over the summer.

He told BBC Radio Leicester: "Having grown up in the city and played here from the age of nine, to help others here now feels phenomenal.

"Susan [Whelan, Leicester's chief executive] got in contact with me and when she asked I said 'yes' straight away before she even finished the sentence. 

"The women's game has always been big, it's just that it hasn't had the visibility and the eyes on it that the men's game has."

And players at the club have welcomed Heskey’s appointment with goalkeeper Kirstie Levell, who joined from Everton over the summer, saying it shows the side’s ambition.

She said: "That shows exactly the direction we are going in. He's great to have around. He's someone you can go and talk to and he's not just a face, he's a mentor.

"We played an eight-versus-eight game and he was my defender - he hasn't lost it!"

Leicester City will be in action this weekend in the Women’s FA Cup as they face Manchester City tomorrow in their quarter-final.