The footballer who swapped California for cold, wet nights in Stoke-on-Trent

Growing up in California, Julia Lucero was used to sunshine all year round - so how did she end up playing football on cold, wet nights in Stoke-on-Trent?

To tell her story, it has to start with the sport - football was a constant throughout her life, with her parents signing her up for a team when she was young, before she went on to keep playing through her school years and into university.

Then, while at university, she fell in love with another student - an Englishman - who also played football and was studying abroad. Eventually she moved across the pond to be with him.

It was this move that saw her land a place on Port Vale Women squad - and confront, literally, that quip about playing in the cold and rain in Stoke-on-Trent.

"Where I lived in California it was sunshine year round, so I can say that the wind rain and freezing cold does take a bit of adjusting," Lucero said.

"He [my partner] was at the Vale Academy team and has been a supporter of Vale his entire life, so I told him I wanted to keep playing out in England.

"He was like: 'Vale has a women's team, why don't you go and give it a shot?'

"So I went and tried it out and I made the team."

She said women's football, especially teams at World Cups, inspired her throughout her childhood and up to now.

"Looking up to those women and what they can do inspired me to take it as far as I can," she said.

Lucero admitted that it took her a while to get used to how football was played in England.

"The biggest challenge that I've faced while playing here has been how direct the game can be and definitely the physicality side of it - you don't get that as much in America," she said.

"I really enjoyed having a completely new and different experience than what I'm used to."

One of the attacking players for the Staffordshire-based team, Lucero said she loved the role as it allowed her to influence games as "I really enjoy taking people on in one v ones and scoring and creating goal opportunities".

Since the start of the season, the squad have won four games and lost six, with the victories including beating local rivals Milton United Ladies 9-0 in the first round of the FA Women's Challenge Vase, with Lucero scoring twice.

"It's definitely been an experience, different from being at home… I think to begin with, it's not been the start we would've wanted, but I can see a lot of improvement within the team," she said.

"We've proven that we are a very strong side.

"We are a very young team and we have a lot of young players that have come in, me being one of them, so it's just been getting to know each other on and off the field."

The team's next game is on Sunday, at Keys Park against Hednesford Town FC Ladies.

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