Fylde Ladies have swooped to sign Manchester United starlet Olivia Wilkes.

Left-back Wilkes was named Player of the Year after a successful season for the Red Devils’ Centre of Excellence but the 16-year-old is now excited about her new start with Fylde Ladies: “I am delighted to join Fylde at this exciting time. This brilliant new ground, fantastic facilities and the quality of the team we are building will really set us apart in the league.

“I see this as an excellent opportunity to develop my own game further and to work hard as a team as we strive for Super League status.

“It has been a privilege to have been at Manchester United for the last 12 months and winning the Player of the Year was a great end to my time there. I am so looking forward to the new season ahead and the challenges this brings and I know we are going to achieve great things.”

Manager Luke Swindlehurst said: “Olivia joining us is another exciting prospect for the future of Fylde as she has huge potential. She comes from a successful team and is full of confidence so it’s our job to make sure we develop that in the right way. Developing young players is a key element of our new philosophy and I’m confident Olivia will really push on with us for this season and beyond.”