13 September 2023 , 18:42
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Women's World Cup star Ashleigh Plumptre has signed for Saudi Women's Premier League side Al-Ittihad, becoming the most high-profile women's name to make the switch to the gulf state.
Plumptre, who featured in all four of Nigeria's matches at this summer's tournament in Australia in New Zealand, has moved to Saudi Arabia on a free transfer following the expiration of her Leicester City contract. The 25-year-old made 79 appearances during her three-year stint at the King Power Stadium and helped the Foxes win promotion to the Women's Super League (WSL) in 2021.
A former age-group international with England, she switched allegiance to Nigeria in in 2022 and started all but two of Leicester's WSL games last term as the team secured a 10th-place finish. "Grateful to have signed for Al-Ittihad," Plumptre wrote on social media after her move was confirmed on Wednesday.
"Excited to start this journey alongside some incredible human beings. My journey of stepping into more of myself continues… It’s more than football."
Former US international Kelly Lindsey, who left the role of Lewes FC's head of performance this summer, is set to be Plumptre's manager at Al-Ittihad. Plumptre's move comes after a transfer window in which men's Saudi Pro League teams have used their extortionate wealth to attract the some of the biggest names in world football to the middle east.
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Karim Benzema and N'Golo Kante are among the stars to have signed for Al-Ittihad this summer, with Jordan Henderson, Sadio Mane and Neymar some of the other players to have made the switch to Saudi Pro League clubs. Saudi Arabia's first women's football league was first launched in 2020, just two years after women were first allowed into stadiums in the kingdom
Concerns over human rights in Saudi Arabia have come to the fore in recent months, with country's stance on LGBTQ+ and women's rights having been called into question. The kingdom's endeavours to boost the profile of its domestic football leagues has led to accusations of sportswashing.
Saudi Arabia's women's team only entered the Fifa world rankings for the first time this year and the country is bidding to host the 2026 Women's Asia Cup.