Leicester City Women Player Eager to Represent Nigeria in Super Falcons Squad
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
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.
