Ashleigh Plumptre, Nigerian Defender Joins The Saudi Women's Premier League

Ashleigh Plumptre, a defender from Nigeria, has left Leicester City and signed with Al-Ittihad of the Saudi Women's Premier League. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="648"] Ashleigh Plumptre. | Credit: Gettyimages[/caption] The 25-year-old made headlines after her outstanding performances for the Super Falcons at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.

Before making her Nigeria debut in 2022, Plumptre played youth football for England. She started all four of Nigeria's Women's World Cup matches, where she performed admirably, before the team was eliminated by England Women in the Round of 16 via a penalty shootout. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="704"] Ashleigh Plumpre performed impressively in all four matches for Nigeria at the FIFA Women World Cup 2023. | Credit: Gettyimages[/caption] Plumptre is thrilled to begin her career with Al-Ittihad and is looking forward to playing with some fantastic stars.

After the club unveiled the player, she said as per GOAL:

“Grateful to have signed for Al-Ittihad. Excited to start this journey alongside some incredible human beings. My journey of stepping into more of myself continues. It’s more than football”

“Everything I have done in my career so far is about doing something bigger than myself.

“I joined Al Ittihad because of new opportunities on and off the pitch. I’m not here with any expectations; I’m here to be myself.

“I hope that I can learn and take so much from the environment as a football player and, more importantly, as a human being.”

Eight clubs are preparing for the second season of the Saudi Women's Premier League. The league debuted in 2020, just two years after women in the kingdom were finally permitted access to sporting events. It is indicative of the growing interest in women's football in Saudi Arabia that Al-Ittihad, one of the clubs, has made serious moves for their men's team, signing Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante and attempting to sign Liverpool star Mohamed Salah. The Saudi Women's Premier League is attracting big names, and Plumptre is one of the most high-profile players to join the league. The season begins on October 6, and Al-Ittihad will be stronger with Plumptre on the roster as they aim to win the title.