As England’s Lionesses were winning a second successive European Championship title this past weekend, a former England (U15, U17, U19, U23) player, who played alongside several of the current stars, was lifting the WAFCON title in Rabat, Morocco, with Nigeria.

Ashleigh Plumptre, born in the East Midlands, began her professional career at then Women’s Super League side, Notts County, in 2014/15, scoring once in ten games as the Pies finished as runners-up in the Women’s FA Cup, and FAWSL League Cup.

Back then she was just a raw, seventeen-year-old midfielder starting out, scoring her first and only goal for County in the 5-0 League Cup group stage win over Yeovil Town; although she was an unused substitute in both those finals, 1-0 versus Arsenal and 3-0 versus Chelsea, Plumptre’s career has continued its own, upward trajectory.

Three years stateside followed, playing college football in Southern California for the USC Trojans, expanded Plumptre’s knowledge of the game, helping them to College Cup success in 2016, before transitioning, in her senior year, to playing in defence.

Following individual success with the Trojans, Plumptre was picked up by the Los Angeles Galaxy Orange County Women, helping them finish runners-up in the West Conference to Calgary Foothills, before defeating the same, 1-0, in the UWS Championship game.

She returned to England, and to her hometown club, Leicester City, in the winter of 2019, where she would spend three-and-a-half seasons, netting four times in eighty games; it was during her spell with the East Midlands side that the former County player helped them win the FA Women’s Championship, and with it their first ever promotion to the WSL.

Reliable both in defence, and going forward, Plumptre made her official, international debut, for Nigeria, on 18 February 2022, in the 2-0 win over Ivory Coast, qualifying for the Super Falcons through her paternal grandfather, he having been born in Lagos.

In late 2023 she moved to Saudi Arabia, and Al-Ittihad, where she currently plies her trade, meanwhile, with the Super Falcons, Plumptre, she appeared for them at the 2023 Women’s World Cup, and helped them to success at the African Cup of Nations.

It was at the latter, in Morocco, that she played the full ninety minutes in all three of the knockout matches, Nigeria seeing off Zambia (5-0), South Africa (2-1), and in the final, against the host nation, Morocco (3-2), she now having made more than twenty, international appearances.

The come-from-behind victory for the Super Falcons was to be a record, tenth African Cup of Nations, they using the tagline, #MissionX, throughout; for added measure, Plumptre was also named in the Group Stage Best XI as her story continues to rise.

Next up for Plumptre, the 2026 WAFCON, again in Morocco, followed by the 2027 Women’s World Cup, in Brazil – injury-permitting, the British-born Nigerian would no doubt love to partake in both, and who knows, come up against some old friends from England.

Speaking of England, back in October 2014, and with Plumptre netting a brace, the occasion, the opening qualifying match for the UEFA Women’s Under-17s Championships; England defeated Moldova 9-0 at home and starring alongside her was Georgia Stanway, Alessia Russo, and Chloe Kelly.

They’ve all come a long way over the past decade, Plumptre included, even if hers was in a different direction.

Ashleigh Plumptre’s Honours

UEFA Women’s U17 Championship 2014 (fourth place, with England)

Women’s FA Cup 2015 (with Notts County, runners-up)

FAWSL League Cup 2015 (with Notts County, runners-up)

NCAA College Cup 2016 (with USC Trojans)

UWS Championship 2019 (with LA Galaxy OC)

FA Women’s Championship 2021 (with Leicester City)

WAFCON 2025 (with Nigeria)

*Article provided by Peter Mann (Senior Correspondent).

*Main image @ashplumptre Ashleigh appeared in the Women’s AFCON for Nigeria.