Super Falcons and Al Ittihad defender Ashleigh Plumptre joined the Saudi Women's League in September 2023, following Nigeria's elimination from the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup, Soccernet.ng reports.
The 27-year-old was brilliant in Nigeria's World Cup campaign, despite them getting knocked out by England in the round of sixteen. After the tournament, she was a free agent and joined Al Ittihad.
Since then, she's gone from strength to strength, helping the country qualify for the 2024 Olympics tournament in Paris and securing victory against Morocco to win the WAFCON tournament, for a record tenth time in Nigeria's history.
Plumptre speaks on Saudi move
It's a rare occurrence for a female football player in her prime to move to the Middle East from Europe, but Plumpre isn't one to make conventional moves.
From switching to Nigeria from England, to the Saudi move, the 27-year-old doesn't play by the rule book. However, she's faced criticism for some of her actions.
In an interview with BBC Sports UK, the former Leicester City defender spoke about her decision to join Al-Ittihad and her experience in Saudi Arabia, comparing it with the culture in England where she was born and raised.
“I spoke to some teams in the UK, US and Europe, then Dad said there was a team in Saudi Arabia who are interested in you.”
“I was shocked. My initial reaction was ‘no', but I wanted to give them a chance.”
While the league is known for the financial incentive it offers to the players they bring in from Europe, the Super Falcons defender revealed she didn't make the move for the money.
“I had an hour-long call with the coach and two people in the management staff, and I said to Dad, ‘I have a really good feeling about this,” Plumptre continued.
“We barely even spoke about football, but about ourselves and what we were passionate about.
“I'm someone who goes off feeling and intuition. But I wanted to go out and visit – I wanted to see what it was really like. I visited for two days and really liked it, and when I left there I thought ‘this is where I want to be'.”
At Leicester, the former England defender was in close contact with the club's LGBT supporters' group, and her move to Saudi Arabia (who are anti-LGBT anyway), sparked negative comments.
“Especially when I moved out here, the reaction was not good at all. That was difficult.
“When I made this move, there were people around Leicester – I remember some comments I received – it was like I was not the person they thought I was.
“I had deeply hurt them because they feel like I am representing something which makes them not feel valued, and I understand that. I don't really know what to say.
“It does not mean I condone certain things, even if the move means I am associated with certain things.”
Safety in Saudi
Quizzed about the environmental safety she feels in Jeddah, compared to the United Kingdom, the ex-Notts County player said;
“I know international players, members of my family and friends who have come out here who genuinely feel safer here and calmer than in the UK.
“A friend of mine who was out here, we described it as being like a peace bubble.
“I'll give an example. I had been to the supermarket and had brought back all these bags.
“I live in a compound. I had to take all these bags into the elevator, so I left my car out with the door open, engine on and keys in the car so I could take up my shopping.
“In the UK, I would never leave my car out with the keys in. Here, I have no problem.
“Naturally, everyone is a bit fearful walking around at night, but I don't have to check my shoulder all the time.
“I know this is just the perspective of myself, not of everybody who lives here, but with the safety I feel, I can't agree with some of the views the Western world has of this place.”
“I don't feel threatened at all here. Men are encouraged to treat women a certain way, and there are consequences if they do not.
“Every woman can say there is a level of fear within them if they were to be out walking at night, whether in Saudi Arabia or in the UK, but there are levels of fear, and there are lower levels in Saudi Arabia based on the way men behave.”
While the environment in Jeddah allows for a safer treatment of women, Plumptre mentioned that the quality of the Saudi Women's Pro League is steep, in comparison to the WSL in England.
“It's not something I will ever hide away from – the standard is not what I'm used to in the WSL or at the international level, and I worried how that would impact me and my development.
“One of my club and international teammates, Francisca Ordega, said in Saudi Arabia, we must do more.
“The pace is not as fast, so you must think in different ways, and push yourselves beyond boundaries that you didn't before. There is more responsibility on you.”
“When I first came here, we were using the same gym the volleyball and basketball teams use.
“Now we are in the old men's gym. The men's team have a new facility. We have a medical clinic, access to ice baths, and our own locker room.
“We train on the main field, separate from the men. When I got here, the field was not great at all, so we pushed on that and people listened.”
