Asmita Ale
{{short description|English footballer}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Asmita Ale
| image =
| fullname =
| birth_date = {{birth date and age|2001|11|03|df=y}}
| birth_place = Dorset, England
| height = 5.6 ft
| currentclub = Leicester City
| clubnumber = 12
| position = Defender
| youthyears1 = 2010–2018
| youthclubs1 = Aston Villa
| years1 = 2018–2021
| clubs1 = Aston Villa
| caps1 = 50
| goals1 = 2
| years2 = 2021–2024
| clubs2 = Tottenham Hotspur
| caps2 = 31
| goals2 = 1
| years3 = 2024
| clubs3 = → Leicester City (loan)
| caps3 = 6
| goals3 = 0
| years4 = 2024–
| clubs4 = Leicester City
| caps4 = 18
| goals4 = 0
| nationalyears1 = 2017–2018
| nationalteam1 = England U17
| nationalcaps1 = 13
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| nationalyears2 = 2018
| nationalteam2 = England U18
| nationalcaps2 = 5
| nationalgoals2 = 0
| nationalyears3 = 2019
| nationalteam3 = England U19
| nationalcaps3 = 4
| nationalgoals3 = 0
| club-update = 26 June 2025
| nationalteam-update = 20 November 2022
}}
Asmita Ale ({{langx|ne|अस्मिता आले}}, {{IPA|ne|ʌsˈmita ˈale|IPA}}; born 3 November 2001) is an English professional footballer who plays as a defender for Women's Super League club Leicester City.
During the 2023/24 season, Ale was the only footballer from Britain's South Asian community - male or female - to play top-division football in England.{{citeweb|url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/36996/13192098/south-asian-heritage-month-leicester-city-defender-asmita-ale-opens-up-on-her-nepalese-heritage|title=South Asian Heritage Month: Leicester City defender Asmita Ale opens up on her Nepalese heritage|website=www.skysports.com}}
Career
The daughter of a former Gurkha soldier, she joined Aston Villa at the age of eight.{{cite news|url=https://lexlimbu.com/blog/2019/12/10/asmita-ale-talks-about-signing-her-first-professional-contract-with-aston-villa-women/|title=Asmita Ale Talks About Signing Her First Professional Contract With Aston Villa Women|work=Lexlimbu|date=10 December 2019|access-date=13 December 2020}} She received her first professional contract after turning 18 in late 2019, becoming the first footballer of Nepalese origin to sign with a Premier League side.{{cite news|url=https://thehimalayantimes.com/sports/nepali-origin-ale-signs-contract-with-premier-league-club-aston-villa/|title=Nepali-origin Ale signs contract with Premier League club Aston Villa|work=The Himalayan Times|date=30 November 2019|access-date=13 December 2020}}
On 26 May 2021, Ale won the Aston Villa Women's Players' Player of the 2020/21 Season award.{{citeweb|url=https://www.avfc.co.uk/news/2021/may/Asmita-Ale-named-Villa-Women-Players-Player-of-the-Season-/|title=Asmita Ale named Villa Women Players' Player of the Season!|website=www.avfc.co.uk}} On 7 June 2024, Ale left Tottenham after her contract expired.{{citeweb|url=https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/2024/june/player-update-women-s-first-team/|title=Player Update Women’s first team|website=www.tottenhamhotspur.com}}
On 6 August 2021, Ale signed for Tottenham Hotspur on a contract until 2023.{{citeweb|url=https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/news/2021/august/asmita-ale-signs-from-villa/|title=Asmita Ale signs from Villa|website=www.tottenhamhotspur.com}} She is seen as one of the upcoming young talents in the Women's Super League.{{citeweb|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/58766352|title=Women's Super League: Meet five of the brightest young talents|website=www.bbc.co.uk}} Ale made 17 appearances in all competitions for Tottenham during the 2022/23 season and kept clean sheets against Italy and Belgium.{{citeweb|url=https://www.skysports.com/football/news/11095/12893354/british-south-asians-in-football-who-makes-it-into-the-2022-23-team-of-the-season|title=British South Asians in football: Who makes it into the 2022/23 Team of the Season?|website=www.skysports.com}}
On 24 January 2024, Ale signed for Leicester on a loan until the end of the 2023/24 season.{{citeweb|url=https://www.lcfc.com/news/3866466/asmita-ale-completes-lcfc-women-loan?lang=en|title=Asmita Ale Completes LCFC Women Loan|website=www.lcfc.com}}
On 17 July 2024, Ale signed for Leicester permanently, signing a three year contract.{{citeweb|url=https://www.lcfc.com/news/4060326/asmita-ale-completes-permanent-foxes-move?lang=en|title=Asmita Ale Completes Permanent Foxes Move|website=www.lcfc.com}}
International career
Asmita Ale is eligible to represent two countries, England (where she was born) and Nepal (through her parents).
On 17 November 2021, Ale was called up to the England U23s for a match against Estonia.{{citeweb|url=https://www.englandfootball.com/articles/2021/Nov/17/england-womens-under-23s-squad-announced-november-20211117|title=England WU23s and Development Phase squads named|first=Callum|last=Davies|website=www.englandfootball.com}}
On 2 November 2022, Ale was called up to the England U23s for matches against Netherlands and Italy.{{citeweb|url=https://www.englandfootball.com/articles/2022/Nov/02/england-womens-u23s-squad-named-for-netherlands-game-in-november-20220211|title=England WU23s and development phase squad named for November games|first=Callum|last=Davies|website=www.englandfootball.com}}
On 29 November 2023, Ale was called up to the England U23s for matches against France and Spain.{{citeweb|url=https://www.englandfootball.com/articles/2023/Nov/24/england-women-squad-updates-20231124|title=England women’s squad updates: New arrivals for seniors, WU23s and WU19s|website=www.englandfootball.com}}
Career statistics
=Club=
{{updated|match played 18 May 2024}}{{Soccerway|asmita-ale/515077|accessdate=12 October 2020}}
| class="wikitable" style="text-align: center" | |||||||
| rowspan="2"|Club
!rowspan="2"|Season !colspan="3"|League !colspan="2"|FA Cup !colspan="2"|League Cup !colspan="2"|Total | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| !Apps
!Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals !Apps !Goals | |||||||
| rowspan="5" |Aston Villa
|3 | 0 | ? | ? | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 |
| 2018–19
|17 | 2 | ? | ? | 2 | 0 | 19 | 2 |
| 2019–20
|Championship |12 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 18 | 0 |
| 2020–21
|18 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 23 | 0 |
| colspan="2" |Total
!50 !2 !2 !0 !11 !0 !63 !2 | |||||||
| rowspan="4" |Tottenham Hotspur
|Women's Super League |13 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 4 | 1 | 18 | 2 |
| 2022–23
|Women's Super League |13 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 17 | 0 |
| 2023–24
|Women's Super League |5 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 1 | 8 | 1 |
| colspan="2" |Total
!31 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 9 | 2 | 43 | 3 |
| Leicester City (loan)
|Women's Super League |6 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 |
| colspan="3" |Career total
!87 | 2 | 7 | 0 | 20 | 2 | 114 | 5 |
{{notelist}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- [https://www.tottenhamhotspur.com/teams/women/players/asmita-ale/ Asmita Ale] at Tottenham Hotspur F.C.
{{Leicester City W.F.C. squad}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ale, Asmita}}
Category:English women's footballers
Category:England women's youth international footballers
Category:Women's association football defenders
Category:Footballers from Dorset
Category:Aston Villa W.F.C. players
Category:Tottenham Hotspur F.C. Women players
Category:Leicester City W.F.C. players
Category:Women's Super League 2 players
Category:Women's Super League players
Category:English people of Nepalese descent