Super Falcons defender, Ashleigh Plumptre, 27, has revealed why he joined Saudi Women's League side, Al Ittihad in September 2023.
The move came after she featured at the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup where Nigeria got eliminated in the round of 16 via penalties at the hands of the Three Lionesses of England.
“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,” Plumpre said in an interview with BBC Sports UK.
The former Leicester City stated that she didn't make the Saudi move because of 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.
“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',” the 2024 Women's Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) winner said.
Plumptre pointed out 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."
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Caption: Plumptre (right) battles for ball possession with her compatriot, Asisat Oshoala, during their Saudi Premier League clash recently.
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