The Nigerian Football Federation (NFF) has confirmed that former England youth player, Ashleigh Plumptre has finally gotten approval to switch her allegiance to the Super Falcons.
According to the NFF director of communications, Ademola Olajire, after joining training camps in Austria and Abuja, she has now been cleared by world football’s governing body Fifa and is eligible for Nigeria’s 2022 Women’s Africa Cup of Nations play-off against Ivory Coast in February.
The 23-year-old defender, who plays for Women’s Super League side Leicester City, is eligible to represent the African women’s football powerhouse because of her father’s Nigerian heritage.
Plumptre, who has a British mother, had been capped 30 times by England at youth level but qualified for Nigeria through the grandparent rule.
She joins a growing list of foreign-born players like Michelle Alozie, Patricia George and Nicole and Toni Payne, who all opted to represent the nine-time African champions.
She previously played in the English top flight with Notts County in 2014 before moving to the United States.
Stints with US college side USC Trojans and LA Galaxy followed, before she returned from studying in January 2020 to play a key role in a memorable season for Leicester.
After she helped the Foxes to the FA Women’s Championship title in 2020-21, Plumptre was voted player of the season and rewarded with a new two-year deal.