Ashleigh Plumptre facts for kids
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Plumptre playing for Leicester City in 2021
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Date of birth | 8 May 1998 | ||
| Place of birth | Leicester, England | ||
| Height | 1.80m | ||
| Playing position | Centre-back | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Al-Ittihad | ||
| Number | 22 | ||
| Youth career | |||
| 2002–2006 | Asfordby Amateurs | ||
| 2006–2013 | Leicester City | ||
| 2013–2014 | Birmingham City | ||
| 2014 | Derby County | ||
| 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) |
| National team‡ | |||
| England U15 | |||
| 2013–2016 | England U17 | ||
| 2016–2017 | England U19 | ||
| 2016 | England U23 | ||
| 2022– | Nigeria | 18 | (0) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Ashleigh Megan Plumptre (born 8 May 1998) is a professional footballer. She plays as a centre-back (a defender) for Al-Ittihad in the Saudi Women's Premier League. Ashleigh also plays for the Nigeria women's national team. She used to play for England's youth teams. Ashleigh first played for Nigeria in February 2022. She also played for Nigeria in the exciting 2023 World Cup.
Contents
Ashleigh's Football Journey
Starting Young
Ashleigh Plumptre was born in Leicester, England. She grew up in Melton Mowbray. Ashleigh started playing football at just four years old. Her first team was Asfordby Amateurs. When she was eight, she joined the Leicester City Centre of Excellence. She played there for seven years, from the under-10 to under-15 teams.
In 2013, Ashleigh moved to Birmingham City's under-17 team. This gave her a chance to train with their senior team. In 2014, she briefly joined Derby County's Centre of Excellence.
Playing for Notts County
In 2014, Ashleigh joined Notts County, a top-tier team. She made her first senior game appearance on 24 August 2014. She was only 16 years and 108 days old. This made her the youngest player to debut for Notts County.
She made her first start on 3 September against Manchester City. Ashleigh was an unused substitute in the 2015 FA Women's Cup final. This was the first final played at Wembley Stadium. She scored her only goal for Notts County on 30 August 2015. The team also reached the League Cup final in 2015.
College Soccer in the USA
In 2016, Ashleigh moved to the United States. She played college soccer for the University of Southern California. She played as a midfielder for the USC Trojans. As a freshman, she played in 17 games. She helped USC win the national championship in 2016.
Ashleigh scored her first college goal on 22 October 2017. In 2019, she changed her position to centre-back. She started all 23 games for USC that season. Her great play earned her special awards. Ashleigh also did well in her studies, focusing on human biology.
Joining LA Galaxy OC
In March 2019, Ashleigh played for LA Galaxy OC. This was during her college break. Her team finished second in their conference. They then went on to win the league championship.
Back to Leicester City
In December 2019, Ashleigh decided to return to England. She rejoined her hometown club, Leicester City. The team was in the FA Women's Championship (the second division). She made her debut for Leicester City on 19 January 2020. She even helped set up a goal in a 3–1 win.
The 2019–20 season was cut short due to the coronavirus pandemic. Before the next season, Leicester City Women became a fully professional club. On 4 April 2021, Leicester City won the league title. This earned them their first-ever promotion to the top-flight FA WSL. Ashleigh was a very important player for the team. She played in almost every game during their championship season.
Ashleigh left Leicester City in July 2023 when her contract ended.
Playing for Al-Ittihad
On 13 September 2023, Ashleigh Plumptre signed with Al-Ittihad. This club plays in the Saudi Women's Premier League in Saudi Arabia.
International Football
Playing for England
Ashleigh Plumptre played for England at different youth levels. She played for the under-15, under-17, under-19, and under-23 teams. She played in two major tournaments for the under-17 team. At youth level, she often played as a forward or attacking midfielder. She scored two goals in a big 9–0 win against Moldova. She played a total of 30 youth games for England and scored 10 goals.
Playing for Nigeria
Ashleigh wanted to play for Nigeria at the senior level. She qualifies to play for Nigeria because her paternal grandfather was from Lagos, Nigeria. In July 2021, she got her first call-up for a training camp. She made an unofficial debut in a friendly game.
In November 2021, she trained in Nigeria. In December 2021, FIFA officially allowed her to play for Nigeria. She made her official debut on 18 February 2022. This was in a 2–0 win against Ivory Coast.
On 16 June 2023, Ashleigh was chosen for Nigeria's team for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup. She started all four games in the tournament. She helped Nigeria keep three clean sheets (no goals scored against them). Nigeria reached the round of 16. They were knocked out by England after a penalty shootout.
Ashleigh's Life Off the Field
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 her USC team's national championship celebrations.
Career Statistics
Club Performance
| Club | Season | League | National Cup | League Cup | Total | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Division | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | Apps | Goals | ||
| Notts County | 2014 | WSL 1 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2015 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 1 | 7 | 1 | ||
| Total | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 1 | 10 | 1 | ||
| Leicester City | 2019–20 | Championship | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 0 |
| 2020–21 | 19 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 26 | 1 | ||
| 2021–22 | WSL | 20 | 1 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 25 | 2 | |
| 2022–23 | 20 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 24 | 1 | ||
| Total | 62 | 3 | 8 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 80 | 4 | ||
| Al-Ittihad Club | 2023–24 | Saudi Women's Premier League | 12 | 8 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 9 |
| 2024-25 | 3 | 0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 1 | ||
| Total | 15 | 8 | 3 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 18 | 10 | ||
| Career total | 81 | 11 | 11 | 1 | 16 | 2 | 108 | 15 | ||
International Games
Statistics accurate as of match played 30 November 2024.
| Year | Nigeria | |
|---|---|---|
| Apps | Goals | |
| 2022 | 9 | 0 |
| 2023 | 6 | 0 |
| 2024 | 3 | 0 |
| Total | 18 | 0 |
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
