London, November 29

Asmita Ale has signed her first professional contract with English Premier League club, Aston Villa.

Ale, daughter of ex-Queens Gurkha Signal Engineer Amrit Ale and Basanti Ale, became the first woman footballer of Nepali origin to sign professional contract with a Premier League side. “Aston Villa Women is delighted to announce that Asmita Ale has signed her first professional contract with the club.

The 18-year-old has become an integral member of the squad after making her way up through the youth ranks,” said the club on its official website.

Ale, who joined Villa at the age of eight, was delighted to have committed her future to the club. “It’s been a dream of mine to play football as my job, and I’m delighted that it’s at this club. It’s given me a lot of confidence knowing that Aston Villa and the staff want to keep me here for the foreseeable future,” the website quoted her as saying.

The defender has impressed fans, players and management since she broke into the first team during the 2017/18 season.

A composed ball-playing full-back, Ale has been capped at age-group level by England and is a regular member of the Lionesses Under-19 set-up.

Ale’s mature performances have seen her accrue over 30 senior appearances so far, and Head Coach Gemma Davies believes she’ll continue to be a big contributor for the team. She said: “Asmita’s proven what she’s capable of. She’s only at the very start of her career and I think it’s very exciting the potential and prospects that she has. We pride ourselves on bringing players through our youth system and giving them an opportunity in the first team, and Asmita is a shining example of that. This signing demonstrates our commitment to younger players and I know she will repay the faith that we’ve shown in her.”