Ashleigh Plumptre facts for kids

Quick facts for kids
Ashleigh Plumptre

Plumptre playing for Leicester City in 2021
Personal information
Full name	Ashleigh Megan Plumptre
Date of birth	(1998-05-08) 8 May 1998 (age 27)
Place of birth	Leicester, England
Height	1.80 m (5 ft 11 in)
Position(s)	Defender
Team information
Current team	Al-Ittihad
Number	22
Youth career
2002–2006	Asfordby Amateurs
2006–2013	Leicester City
2013–2014	Birmingham City
2014	Derby County
College career
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2016–2019	USC Trojans	77	(5)
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2014–2015	Notts County	4	(0)
2019	LA Galaxy OC
2020–2023	Leicester City	62	(3)
2023–	Al-Ittihad	15	(8)
International career‡
	England U15
2013–2016	England U17
2016–2017	England U19
2016	England U23
2022–	Nigeria	25	(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19:08, 22 November 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 17:00, 22 July 2025 (UTC)

Ashleigh Megan Plumptre (born May 8, 1998) is a professional footballer. She plays as a defender for Saudi Premier League club Al-Ittihad. Ashleigh was born in England. She plays for the Nigeria women's national team.

Plumptre started her senior career with Notts County. She then moved to the United States to play college soccer for the USC Trojans. She has also played for LA Galaxy OC and Leicester City. Ashleigh used to play for England's youth teams. She made her first appearance for Nigeria in February 2022. She later played for Nigeria in the 2023 World Cup.

Ashleigh Plumptre's Football Journey

Early Years and Youth Clubs

Ashleigh Plumptre was born in Leicester, England. She grew up in Melton Mowbray. She started playing football at age four. Her first team was Asfordby Amateurs.

When she was eight, she joined the Leicester City Centre of Excellence. She played there for seven years. She played for teams from under-10 to under-15. In 2013, she moved to Birmingham City's under-17 team. She also trained with their senior team. In 2014, Plumptre briefly played for Derby County.

Playing for Notts County

In 2014, Plumptre joined Notts County. This team played in the top league, WSL 1. She played her first senior game on August 24, 2014. She was 16 years and 108 days old. This made her the youngest player to debut for Notts County.

She scored her only goal for Notts County on August 30, 2015. It was in a League Cup game against Yeovil Town. Notts County reached the League Cup final in 2015. They lost to Arsenal 3–0.

College Soccer in the USA

In 2016, Plumptre moved to the United States. She played college soccer for the University of Southern California. She played as a midfielder for the USC Trojans.

In 2016, USC won the national championship. Ashleigh played in the final game. She scored her first college goal in October 2017. In 2019, she started playing as a centre-back. She played in all 23 games for USC that season. Her team reached the quarter-finals of the NCAA Tournament.

Ashleigh also did well in her studies. She studied human biology. She received academic awards in 2017 and 2018.

Playing for LA Galaxy OC

In March 2019, Ashleigh played for LA Galaxy OC. This was during her college break. Her team won the Championship final.

Return to Leicester City

In December 2019, Plumptre returned to England. She rejoined her hometown club, Leicester City. The team was in the FA Women's Championship. She made her debut for Leicester City on January 19, 2020. She helped her team win 3–1 against Crystal Palace.

The 2019–20 season was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic. Leicester City Women became a fully professional club in 2020. On April 4, 2021, Leicester City won the league title. This earned them their first promotion to the top league, the FA WSL. Ashleigh was a key player. She played in almost every game during their title win.

Plumptre left Leicester City in July 2023.

Joining Al-Ittihad

On September 13, 2023, Plumptre signed with Al-Ittihad. This club plays in the Saudi Women's Premier League.

Playing for Her Country

England Youth Teams

Ashleigh Plumptre played for England's youth teams. She played for the under-15, under-17, under-19, and under-23 teams. She played in two tournaments for the under-17 team. She was often a forward or attacking midfielder at youth level. She scored 10 goals in 30 youth appearances.

Playing for Nigeria

Ashleigh wanted to play for Nigeria. She qualifies because her paternal grandfather was from Lagos, Nigeria. In July 2021, she was called up for a training camp. She made her unofficial debut on July 23, 2021.

In December 2021, FIFA officially allowed her to play for Nigeria. Her official debut was on February 18, 2022. It was a 2–0 win against Ivory Coast.

On June 16, 2023, she was chosen for Nigeria's squad for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. She played in all four games. Nigeria kept three clean sheets. They reached the round of 16. They were knocked out by England after a penalty shootout.

Ashleigh was part of the Nigerian team that won the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations in 2025. She received a national honor called Officer of the Order of the Niger.

Ashleigh's Life Outside Football

Ashleigh's grandfather was born in Nigeria. She grew up supporting Leicester City. She even attended the parade when the men's team won the 2015–16 Premier League title.

In 2017, Ashleigh was invited to the White House. This was part of USC's national championship celebrations.

Career Statistics

Club Appearances and Goals

International Appearances

Awards and Honours

Notts County

• Women's FA Cup runner-up: 2015
• FA Women's League Cup runner-up: 2015

USC Trojans

• NCAA Division I Women's Soccer Championship: 2016

LA Galaxy OC

• UWS Championship: 2019

Leicester City

• FA Women's Championship: 2020–21

Nigeria

• Africa Women Cup of Nations: 2024

Orders

• Officer of the Order of the Niger