Ashleigh Plumptre, a Leicester City defender, has revealed why she shifted her international allegiance to Nigeria despite having represented England at younger levels.
The 24-year-old stated that she made the decision to learn more about her heritage.
She revealed this in a recent interview with Kelly Somers of Optus Sports.
She said, “For me, I always say that I have to play football for more than just playing it itself. The same way that I chose to join Leicester because of my hometown’s club.
“With Nigeria, I wanted to uncover more of my heritage that I hadn’t delved into before because my dad is half-Nigerian and half-English. My grandad was born in Lagos. But I been brought up very British, so, I want to join the Nigerian team where I got to experience food like this, experience more of the culture, I guess.”
Truth Live News reports that Ashleigh Plumptre who is a professional footballer from Nigeria, currently plays for the Leicester City Football Club in the Women’s Super League in England.
She was was born on December 16, 1997, in England to British parents while her paternal grandfather is a Nigerian from the Yoruba tribe. She started playing football at a young age, begining her career with the Notts County Ladies in 2014, where she played for two years before moving to the University of Southern Mississippi in the United States to pursue her studies. And while playing for the university team, Plumptre was named the Conference USA Defensive Player of the Year in 2017.
Our findings show that in 2018, Plumptre returned to England and joined the Women’s Championship club, Leicester City Women where she quickly became an important player for the team and helped them win the Women’s Championship title in the 2020-21 season, which earned them promotion to the Women’s Super League.
Plumptre’s impressive performances also caught the attention of the Nigeria Women’s National Team, and she was invited to join the team for the first time in 2021 and made her international debut for Nigeria in a friendly match against Ghana in June 2021, and has since become a regular member of the team.
Off the field, Plumptre is also actively involved in philanthropic work. In 2020, she launched the Ashleigh Plumptre Foundation, which aims to support young girls in sports and education. Through the foundation, Plumptre hopes to inspire and empower young girls to achieve their full potential both on and off the field.
This news agency can confirm that Ashleigh Plumptre is a talented footballer who has quickly made a name for herself in the English football scene and is poised to have a bright future in the sport. Her dedication to both her team and her community makes her a role model for young girls aspiring to play football.