Ashleigh Plumptre: Leicester C Women's star keen on Nigeria

[delisyomie don]

this the way people should come out if they want to play for Nigeria especially men team,not go and get this or that.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/africa/57411902

[Next]

She can forward her intention to the NFF.

[Otitokoro]

You're a bit behind the curve here...Ashleigh is signed, sealed and delivered.
This was just a PR exercise to sensitize Nigerians to the fact that she is coming aboard and WILL be a Super Falcon.
All that is being awaited is her FIFA clearance, considering she has played multiple games for the England Women's age group teams.

She can forward her intention to the NFF.

[Bigpokey24]

[furiously frank]

I hope Ndidi and Kele hands are not involved in this. It will be too much to swallow for them. Stay in your lanes kids

[Bigpokey24]

[Next]

You're a bit behind the curve here...Ashleigh is signed, sealed and delivered.
This was just a PR exercise to sensitize Nigerians to the fact that she is coming aboard and WILL be a Super Falcon.
All that is being awaited is her FIFA clearance, considering she has played multiple games for the England Women's age group teams.

She can forward her intention to the NFF.

My comment is based on the fact that the bbc report did not mention that..

Well, good luck to her if her dream works out the way she planned it!!

[Otitokoro]

That's because her FIFA clearance has yet to be approved.
Everything else is complete.

You're a bit behind the curve here...Ashleigh is signed, sealed and delivered.
This was just a PR exercise to sensitize Nigerians to the fact that she is coming aboard and WILL be a Super Falcon.
All that is being awaited is her FIFA clearance, considering she has played multiple games for the England Women's age group teams.

She can forward her intention to the NFF.

My comment is based on the fact that the bbc report did not mention that..

Well, good luck to her if her dream works out the way she planned it!!

[Chief Ogbunigwe]

You're a bit behind the curve here...Ashleigh is signed, sealed and delivered.
This was just a PR exercise to sensitize Nigerians to the fact that she is coming aboard and WILL be a Super Falcon.
All that is being awaited is her FIFA clearance, considering she has played multiple games for the England Women's age group teams.

She can forward her intention to the NFF.

Thanks for this update.

[bret- hart]

[Bell]

ALL YOU WANT TO KNOW ABOUT PLUMPTRE IN COLLEGE


Always known of her interest in Nigeria and suspected she had some connection with Nigeria but she looked 100% Caucasian. Knew of her love for the Foxes too. She won an NCAA championship with the USC Trojans as a left-footed M/F before moving to central defense in her last college years. With an American coach and the Ndidi/Iheanacho connection, she shouldn't have problems being introduced to the soccer authorities in Nigeria. She's #22 in some of the videos in the links below.
Bell

PERSONAL: Daughter of Sharon Glover and Tim Plumptre...Has a sister, Bayleigh Plumptre and two brothers, Lewis Glover and Ethan Glover...Hopes to become a doctor and specialize in sports medicine. Would like to work with olympic/paraolympic athletes...Soccer goals include playing pro soccer in the NWSL, French Division I Feminine or in Italy Serie A, along with representing England on the senior national team...Lists her most thrilling sports moment as when she scored against Yeovil on her full debut for Notts County Ladies in the FAWSL1 (women's professional league in England)...Lists her biggest sports hero as Thierry Henry "because he was an influential figure to her from a young age when she first found her love for football. He is a humble and extremely talented forward."...Chose USC "because the program is on an upward trajectory and the team is very talented and will compete for national championships. Also was impressed with the academics, facilities, coaches and family feel."...Lists her favorite film as Princess and the Frog...Would like to sky dive someday...Would like to visit Nigeria and Japan...Listens to Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys and Lauryn Hill...Birthdate is May 8, 1998.

https://usctrojans.com/sports/womens-so ... ptre/10545

https://usctrojans.com/news/2017/10/22/ ... t-wsu.aspx

https://usctrojans.com/news/2017/10/26/ ... 6-cal.aspx

https://usctrojans.com/news/2019/12/20/ ... -roll.aspx

https://usctrojans.com/news/2018/11/12/ ... -team.aspx

https://usctrojans.com/news/2017/10/26/ ... 6-cal.aspx

https://usctrojans.com/news/2019/8/15/u ... on-preview

[iworo]

Leicester City Women’s star keen to meet Iheanacho, Ndidi and play for Nigeria
The 23-year-old has revealed her ambition of switching her allegiance to the Super Eagles

By Trambak Bhattacherjee@RMA_Tram Jun 10, 2021, 4:11am PDT



Leicester City Women’s defender Ashleigh Plumptre has expressed her desire to meet with Kelechi Iheanacho and Wilfred Ndidi, who play for the men’s team while also revealing her interest to play for Nigeria.

The 23-year-old is currently having her second spell with the Foxes and in the 2020-21 season, she helped the club to win the FA Women’s Championship title, earning a two-year contract for her fine showings in the campaign.

Since her return to the Foxes in 2019, she has been unable to link up with Super Eagles stars Iheanacho and Ndidi whom she described as her role models according to a report from Goal.

This is what Plumtre told in an Interview:

“With Leicester, Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Ihenacho have been good role models for me,” Plumptre told BBC.

“It’s funny we haven’t met but that’s all because of Covid but at some point hopefully we’ll be able to meet each other.”

Plumptre has featured for various England youth teams but she is still eligible to represent Nigeria through her father and hopes to get a chance to play for the Super Falcons in the future.

"The idea of me being able to play for Nigeria, with that being an option, I would happily grab that with both hands,” she continued.

“What representing something that really means to somebody is very important. Obviously, there’s a lot of things I can openly say that I don’t know about Nigerian culture but I want to learn because I know that it’s in me, and it’s in my sister and in my dad."

“We can only get it from my granddad, he’s the only thing that we know in terms of Nigeria. I’ve obviously visited Nigerian relatives in America and in England.

“Seeing this little journey my sister and I have been on, and the understanding of our family heritage, not just that but watching Nigerian documentaries and learning about the past is incredible.”

Plumptre also hailed the quality in the Super Falcons squad and praised Asisat Oshoala for her exploits abroad.

“When you look around there are several Nigerian players playing at the top level of the women’s game,” she pointed out.

“With the Super Falcons I have been following them and the continued progress the team is making. But one player that I remember is Asisat Oshoala.

“She was at Liverpool when I played for Notts County, then I was about 16 and the big thing was having Oshoala over at Liverpool.

“That was the big name and then she obviously went to Arsenal. And everybody knew of her and how talented she was. For me as an English person, she was Nigerian football to me.”

https://fosseposse.sbnation.com/2021/6/ ... or-nigeria

[Purity]

Ashleigh Plumptre: of Leicester wants to play for Super Falcons of Nigeria. (RSTV SPORTS)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMpu8vo7t1o

[Purity]

Ashleigh Plumptre: of Leicester wants to play for Super Falcons of Nigeria. (RSTV SPORTS)

Plumptre is one-quarter Nigerian.[

She grew up supporting Leicester City and attended the parade when the men's team won the 2015–16 Premier League title.

In 2017, Plumptre was invited to the White House as part of USC's National Championship winning celebrations

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aMpu8vo7t1o

[nanijoe]

https://www.bbc.com/sport/africa/57411902

Former England youth defender Ashleigh Plumptre says she would play for Nigeria at senior international level - if the West African country came calling.

The 23-years-old, who plays for newly-promoted Women's Super League (WSL) side Leicester City, is eligible to play for the Super Falcons because of her father's Nigerian heritage.

Having helped guide the Foxes to the FA Women's Championship title in 2020/21, Plumptre was voted player of the season and rewarded with a new two-year deal.

And, despite 30 England caps at youth level, Plumptre says she would like to play for Nigeria.

"The idea of me being able to play for Nigeria, with that being an option, I would happily grab that with both hands," she told BBC Sport Africa.

"What representing something that really means to somebody is very important. Obviously, there's a lot of things I can openly say that I don't know about Nigerian culture but I want to learn because I know that it's in me, and it's in my sister and in my dad.

"We can only get it from my granddad, he's the only thing that we know in terms of Nigeria. I've obviously visited Nigerian relatives in America and in England.

"Seeing this little journey my sister and I have been on, and the understanding of our family heritage, not just that but watching Nigerian documentaries and learning about the past is incredible."

Understanding her heritage
Ashleigh Plumptre in action for Leicester City Women
Life-long Foxes fan Plumptre played 25 games this season for the club she first joined as an eight-year-old and previously played in the WSL with Notts County in 2014, before moving to the United States.

Stints stateside with US college side USC Trojans and LA Galaxy followed, before she returned from studying in January 2020 to play a key role in a memorable season for the Foxes.

After establishing herself at club level, Plumptre, who has a British mother, believes a potential international career with Nigeria could pave the way for other biracial footballers to follow.

"What it will mean for me as somebody who is British born but with Nigerian heritage is huge. People look at me and they think I'm tanned and that I've been on holiday, they don't think that I'm Nigerian," she added.

"I don't think that should be significant in saying whether somebody is Nigerian or not because it's in your blood, it's not about what you look like.

"My sister, she looks African because she has an Afro and her skin tone is darker than mine, with that obviously, she's had different experiences in school than I have had.

"I think with football being my platform, I am using that as something that's bigger than me. As much as I can resonate with my Nigerian heritage.

"I feel like I can hopefully inspire someone like my sister or other kids like her maybe in this country or other countries to look at me and be like you know what? It doesn't matter what your skin tone looks like.

"If you can resonate with your heritage and it means something to you, it means you can represent something bigger than you, then that's what it comes down to.

"I think people too often look at the surface of this rather than actually try to find out inside what our drives and passions are, and what means a lot to us."

Following the Super Falcons
Ashleigh Plumptre in action for England Under-19's
Leicester City's Ashleigh Plumptre has played for England at youth level
The continent's most successful national side with nine African titles, Nigeria are the only African team to have played in all eight Women's World Cups since 1991.

Despite possessing the talent to potentially make the step up to England's senior side, Plumptre has been growing professionally and fully aware of the Super Falcons' rise in the global game.

"When you look around there are several Nigerian players playing at the top level of the women's game," she pointed out.

"With the Super Falcons I have been following them and the continued progress the team is making. But one player that I remember is Asisat Oshoala.

"She was at Liverpool when I played for Notts County, then I was about 16 and the big thing was having Oshoala over at Liverpool.

"That was the big name and then she obviously went to Arsenal. And everybody knew of her and how talented she was. For me an an English person, she was Nigerian football to me."

She's hoping to meet the club's Nigerian international duo Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho soon, insisting that the pandemic has made it difficult to link up with them.

"With Leicester Wilfred Ndidi and Kelechi Iheanacho have been good role models for me. It's funny we haven't met but that's all because of Covid but at some point hopefully we'll be able to meet each other," she explained.

Plumptre has been immersed in the culture, food and music of her father's ancestral home, but admits she has never visited the country.

"I listen to a lot of music but my favourite genre is classic 90s R&B, the stuff my dad grew up listening to are what I listen to now," she explained.

"But with regards Nigerian songs I like, I will go with veteran and legendary musician King Sunny Ade because I've heard some of his records.

"I really enjoy the Nigerian Jollof rice, fish stew but my favourite meal is moi-moi [steamed and flavoured cakes of ground beans]."

[EMIR KONGI JAFFI JOFFA]

Since England is not calling.

[Bell]

Since England is not calling.

I AGREE WITH THE ENGLAND PART, BUT...


...given her background - a naturally left-footed and solid defender with her college national championship team (USC) and an apparent top player with Leicester, her interest in Nigeria may not be a case of over ambition.
Bell