Super Falcons defender Plumptre first words after sealing transfer to Al-Ittihad 

Speculation about the future of Ashleigh Plumptre has ended with Saudi Arabian club Al-Ittihad Ladies announcing the capture of the Super Falcons defender on Wednesday morning on undisclosed terms. 

Plumptre has joined Al-Ittihad Ladies as a free agent following the expiry of her contract with Leicester City at the end of last season.

The left-footed central defender recently revealed that she was heading to a foreign club coached by a woman and she was on point.

Al-Ittihad Ladies are managed by American football tactician Kelly Lindsey, who has coached the national teams of Afghanistan and Morocco in the past and earned four caps for the United States before hanging up her boots. 

Leicester-born Plumptre has played abroad in the past with stints at American clubs USC Trojans and LA Galaxy OC before returning for a second spell at Leicester City in 2020.

In her first words as a player of Al-Ittihad Ladies, Plumptre said: "Football is for me has always been about connecting with not only more of myself but with the people that I'm surrounded by whether that's my teammates, staff.

"Throughout everything I've done in my career so far has always been about representing something bigger than myself.

"Joining Al-Ittihad I feel as if I'm going to have so many opportunities both on and off the pitch to be able to learn about football here.

"I don't come here with any expectations, I come here being myself and I hope that I can learn and take so much from the environment both as a football player but more importantly as a human being and I'm already feeling that.

"I'm just looking forward to getting the journey started with this team and seeing what we can achieve in every aspect." 

Former Notts County wonderkid Plumptre was a key member of the Nigeria team that sparkled at this summer's Fifa Women's World Cup, where she helped goalkeeper Chiamaka Nnadozie post shutouts in three of the four games played by the Super Falcons. 

Ifeanyi Emmanuel 

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