Lizzie Seedhouse still remembers the day she saw an advert for her first football team.

She was reading a newspaper at her grandma’s house in Sheffield – and from that moment onwards, her love of the beautiful game has been an ever-present part of her life.

Lizzie played for Sheffield Wednesday Ladies, then backed herself to move to America and prove herself at a collegiate level – thanks in no small part to the film ‘Bend It Like Beckham’.

Now she’s Senior Vice President at the USL (United Soccer League) – which is North America’s largest and fastest growing soccer organisation - and it’s there that Lizzie has helped the League launch its ‘Forever Proud’ Project, which focuses on making sure LGBTQ+ fans, employees and partners feel like they belong, not only in the game but in society as a whole.

This is a fascinating chat with Lizzie about that initiative and so much more – her life in the States and early relationship with soccer; how sport has the ability to drive social change; why visibility is important; and what she misses about living in the UK.

WANT TO FIND OUT MORE ABOUT OUR GUEST?
Twitter: @LizzieSeedhouse/ @USL_HQ
Website: www.uslsoccer.com

WANT TO GET IN TOUCH WITH THE PODCAST?
@jack_murley
jack.murley@bbc.co.uk