International football fans are to be given the chance to buy into part-time Irish Premiership club Carrick Rangers by American company, Fan Owned Club.

FOC will play a pivotal role in providing an array of marketing, merchandising and commercial services.

They claim that they will usher the Northern Ireland Football League outfit into the lucrative US market.

The organisation, who say they offer supporters the opportunity to "get behind the scenes" and "enjoy insider access" are already involved with a club in Austria.

American businessman Michael Smith became a majority shareholder in Carrick Rangers in September.

"We crowdfunded our first team in Austria in 2019, we progressed nicely, and about 14 months ago, we started to look around and decided we wanted to give more fans this type of experience," Fan Owned Club Founder Steve Paris told BBC Sport NI.

"We considered who we would partner with and Northern Ireland popped immediately as a potential partner.

"We felt like the league is historic, it's undervalued and probably underappreciated on this side of the pond so we were really excited and as we started to do our work Carrick became a clear favourite to partner with.

"We're looking to provide our fans with a unique experience in terms of their exposure to the world of football and the world of sport.

"We're hopeful we can help Carrick accelerate their vision and their goals, which is exciting for us. It seems there is a lot of potential, not only in the league, but specifically with the club."

Paris added that details of how to avail of the opportunity to buy into Carrick would be revealed in the next few weeks.

"Our goal all along has been to provide a piece of ownership for less than what many pay for season tickets, so it's going to be affordable for everyday fans.

"We want to provide insider access - that can be as simple as first to know of events that are happening. We try to give them access to the coach, to the leadership, try to give them some influence."

Smith, majority owner of Carrick Rangers, believes the untapped potential of the Northern Ireland Football League in the American market.

"The Irish League might be the most under-valued product in all of sport," said Smith.

"It is an exciting brand of football with a high standard of play in an ultra-competitive league. We are excited for Carrick Rangers to be the pioneers in bringing this to an American market that is hungry for more sports-centred content."