Former Leicester star Ashleigh Plumptre opens up on difficult move to Saudi Arabia | OneFootball

Ashleigh Plumptre has opened up on her difficult move to the Middle East

Ashleigh Plumptre was the first-ever WSL player to move to Saudi Arabia but the former Leicester star has admitted it was a difficult time in her life.

As her contract was coming to an end with Leicester in 2023, everyone was expecting Plumptre to seek a move in England.

However the defender shocked women’s football with her decision to move into Saudi Arabia’s Premier League.

There was plenty of controversy surrounding the player’s move with the laws so strict in Saudi Arabia, but Plumptre is keen to put those beliefs to bed.

Ashleigh Plumptre’s intuition drew her to Saudi Arabia

The former Leicester superstar shocked everyone when she moved to the Middle East in 2023.

Despite all the doubt behind her decision, Plumptre admitted that it was her intuition that drew her into the move.

“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’,” said Plumptre.

“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’.”

After visiting Al-Ittihad, Plumptre was quick to decide that a scary move abroad was the right move for her.

“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,” she continued. “I was shocked. My initial reaction was ‘no’, but I wanted to give them a chance.”

The 27-year-old’s move hasn’t halted her progress for Nigeria, as Plumptre was crowned WAFCON champion with the Super Falcons earlier this year.

Plumptre and her team has always refused to reveal how much her contract pays despite the high wages being one of the positives of moving to Saudi.

Bad reaction to Saudi move

It goes without saying that Plumptre had plenty of doubters when she announced her move, especially due to the laws against same-sex relations in Saudi Arabia.

“Especially when I moved out here, the reaction was not good at all,” she said. “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.”

Despite the hate she has received, the Nigerian international remains committed to her new life in Saudi Arabia.