Super Falcons defender Ashleigh Plumptre has joined Saudi Arabia Women’s Premier League club Al-Ittihad Ladies.
The club unveiled Plumptre’s signing with a video interview published on their X handle accompanied with a statement that reads:”Welcome to Al-Ittihad Ashleigh Plumptre 🤩🙌.”
She joined Al-Ittihad after spending three years (2020-2023) at Leicester where she made 62 appearances.
The 25-year-old left the English club after the expiration of her contract.
Reacting to her transfer to Al-Ittihad, Plumptre expressed her delight.
“Grateful to have signed for Al-Ittihad 🐅,” she wrote on her X account.
“Excited to start this journey alongside some incredible human beings.
Also read: Oparanozie Announces Retirement From Professional Football At 29
“My journey of stepping into more of myself continues…
“It’s more than football 💛.”
Al-Ittihad finished fifth in the first-ever Saudi Arabia Women’s Premier League which was held last season.
Plumptre, featured in all the four games the Super Falcons played at the 2023 FIFA women’s World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
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COMMENTS
Plumptre is destined for greatness. You will do well in Saudi Arabia. Continue to shine. Heaven bless Plumptre and all deserving Super Falcons dual nationality players.
She moved to Saudi Arabia for the money!
And that is why u choses to remain in your village for poverty. Enemy of progress
Wow interesting,because you have assess to internet and because we’re in a forum together you think you can disrespect anyone keyboard warriors!I suddenly have become enemy of progress because i wrote Ashley moved to Saudi Arabia for the money isn’t it obvious?When clubs like Manchester united and top European teams showed interest but she choosed Saudi Arabia a country not known for playing female football but are investing big cash to lure good players around the world,tell me what else would make a young quality player move to the middle east over Europe where the best football is played if it’s not money motivated?
@Ubah show a little class..
@Greenturf you dey Mind Ubah?.. it is well Know that Igbo’s my own people Value Money over everything else. and cannot not seen long term value only Money thrown at them now. Go and look at how many Igbo’s were advising our best striker EVER! to take the Saudi Money NOW! at the detriment to his overall progress even though Saudi will throw more money at him down the line in a few years time.
@Ugo Iwunze Plumptre had a very good world cup Manchester united or any top European club interested in her services should have been a better option in my opinion,she’s 25 and she has at least 7 years of European football left in her before conidering retirement football in countries like the Saudi-Arabia.
Decisions she makes today may be good for her as she smiles to the bank but may not benefit the super falcons which primarily you and i and every other Nigerian supports.
Very disrespectful comment to an old forumite…. @Greenturf disregard the spoilt brat.
Thanks much appreciated @Chima E Samuels
And!
Lol! Na now I believe this lady say she be confirm naija gal forget the color.
From her best performance in a World Cup Tournament, straight to Saudi League? Typical naija players mentality. Get your money queen. Who cares? The best players now are heading to Saudi League. My regards to CR7 , Mane and Ighalo. Una weldone
_ It’s Not About The Money _
First of all, I would like to congratutale Ashley Plumptree on this exciting news of moving to the Saudi Ariabian Womens League. Let me say that the notion of MONEY being the driving force of her decision to move to Saudi Arabia is parochial, deeply flawed and – as a matter of fact – very disrepectful to Ashley Plumptree in my humble opinion.
Of course we are all motivated by money: if not we will not go to school to go to work to better ourselves.
However, other than financial considerations, I think moving to Saudi Arabia offers the following benefits:
1, Ashleigh will be a massive inspiration to Middle Eastern women, many of whom just only recently started enjoying equal treatment.
2, As a Women’s World Cup hero, Ashleigh will help light up the Middle Eastern league and prove as a magnet to draw other reticent female players to that region.
3, Ashleigh will be a trailblazer as one of the first generation of African-Western woment to play football professionally in the Middle East.
4, Her footprint in the Middle East will help pave way for greater opportuinities after she hangs up her boots.
5, She will help so many (African-Western) ladies in other fields of human endeavour to see Saudi Arabia as a place to do business.
Having said all that, there are some things about this move that bothers me. These are:
1, The potential for the quality of her football to drop owing to how she might be pampered by her coach and the low quality of oppositions she will face.
2, Will it be fair to continually invite a Saudi based footballer to the Super Falcons ahead of many other indigenous and dual nationality players in more competive leagues in Europe, North America and Mexico?
Most importantly, I hope this move works out for Plumptre, her employers, fans of Saudi league and all respective stakeholders (which include us Super Falcons fans)
As a Graduate in Human Biology and @25, this lady here is really planning for her future. I don’t see plumpther and May be Alozie as players that really want to play football for long. Example is Courtney Dike, a Certified Public Accountant, Not presently playing active football at 28. Don’t be surprised if plumther quit football after next World Cup.we all heard what Ordega said after World Cup.
Playing in Saudi Arabia will have social impacts for women in Muslim countries including Nigeria. Ashleigh is the Bridge between the Northern and the Southern Hemisphere, and I’m proud she’s a Suoer Falcon.
Ashley could be an inspiration too to African women by playing for Bayelsa queens or Middle Eastern coutries such as Jordan,Yemen,Turkey and Egypt!After all it’s not money motivated!
Greenturf. The package has to be right. Did you notice the magic word there: “PACKAGE”?
This package includes infrastructure, training materials, intangible benefits, accommodation, culture and of course money.
If Jordan,Yemen,Turkey and Egypt and Bayelsa Babes of Nigeria offer Plumptre a juicy “package”, do you think she will not consider it.
Singling money out of the package as the driving force behind her decision is most disrespectful to Ashleigh Plumptre in my humble opinion.
If Nigeria offers you a juicy PACKAGE (health, electricity, infrastructure etc) won’t you consider upping sticks to return to your fatherland?
Bayelsa wetin biko??? no pls, dont drag this lady unnecessarily. As if we dont know how things work in this part of the world. She’s a lady and she will get marry and and when when she does, diminishing return set in…Maybe she has like 2years of active football and going to saudi league will secure her financial status…She has seen it all. play in the best, league, played at the world cup,dream of everyone player, she might have a particular project she wants delve into when she retires and money never complete lol etc…going to saudi league seems the best option for her…We should learn to impress ourselves and not others. love what you, do what you love
I get that @deo you’re a nice man and very skilled with letters and at dealing with difficult rather contoversial matters as this,i’m not a very diplomatic person i say it as it’s sometimes i get murder for that..
Meanwhile,many a footballer will argue footballing reasons behind their move to Saudi-Arabia rather than because of the offer of lucrative financial incentives,some would say their motivation was to achieve something special and build a club and league!I personally don’t agree to that it’s my opinion and i respect yours.
Of course a wealthy country like Saudi investing massively in football spending hundreds of millions of dollars snapping up the best international stars from European clubs should have world class facilities.
No matter how you try to water it down it won’t change my opinion that money was behind Ashley’s move,i’m sorry that’s my opinion and it wont change and i’m glad you somewhat acknowledeged it.
Competition wise and as a top falcon member this is not a move that will improve her football because she will not be facing top players unlike the Saudi men’s league. Anyway as she wrote she has her motives and we wish her well but the next Falcons coach must only play her on merit if ever she is invited because as it seems this lady is not all about competitive football.
This her move almost cost us our relationship cos i was never in support of it but it’s okay if it makes her happy…
For footballers, age catches up quickly. You can’t fault her for trying to make the most hay while the sun is still shining. Of course, this might cost her a place in the SF squad to the Olympics, if her form and level falls below the required standard. So it’s up to her to keep doing what it takes to keep her spot in the team.
Cant you guys wait to see her form drop in the SF first before all going chor chor chor chor chor about Ashley moving to Saudi Arabia…?
It’s a different thing if she were still an unknown and untested quantity moving to Saudi league. Someone who has proven herself in the WSL and at the World cup level before now, who does she need to prove herself to again…?
As they say in football, after the age of 25 there’s nothing to learn anymore, it’s the application of what one has learnt all the way till one retires.
Like I will continue to say, when you are proven, you are proven. Even if you are now playing on the sandy pitches of Ajegunle after having previously proven yourself at the top, once you are not yet past your prime, as long as you are still physically fit and have not lost form, when you get to even the World Cup you will still turn heads….and its a fact. Asamoah Gyan was still terrorizing defenses in Africa and at the World Cup despite spending 3 seasons in the UAE league. In actual fact, he became the top African goalscorer in World Cup finals history as an Emirati league player at 28.
We all move for the money…each and every one of us. Otherwise we should all be in our farms in our villages back in Africa.
Abeg Ashley, go and make the maddest of the maddest money you can make in Saudi o jare. This career of yours is not forever.
Good luck to you, Ashley Plumptre, my daughter. You made the right decision, and I am in support of that. Sometimes, when the opportunity comes, you take it, but if you don’t, then you regret it in the end, Shikena. Ire o. God bless Nigeria!!!