Charlton full-back Ashleigh Neville on giving up teaching to turn professional, her FA Cup final at Wembley and why she’s nothing like her on-pitch self.
“Offthepitch,youcanaskanyone,Iwouldgivemylastpoundtosomeone.”Ashleigh Neville
Ashleigh Neville makes more tackles per 90 minutes than any player in the Barclays WSL. But the Charlton full-back insists the player you see on the pitch isn’t the person off it. Ahead of Sunday’s London derby at West Ham, she looks back on swapping the classroom for football, her day at Wembley and the people who got her here.
Do you remember your first club, coach, or grassroots match?
My first team would have been Park Hill Girls, which is a competitive girls' team. I remember training but I can't really remember my first match. That was a long time ago for me, so I can remember the team that I played with and some of the players, and the coach, the manager. I can't remember my first ever game, which is quite sad really. I would like to remember that. That would be cool to do.
Is there a "small" moment — not a goal or a trophy — that means more to you than people would expect?
A game that would stand out to me would be the FA Cup final at Wembley, being in and around that. How big the trophy is for the country is incredible, but I think just to be able to say that I played an FA Cup final at Wembley is incredible. That's a moment I will never forget. That's a big moment for me.
What's a moment you wish you could go back and experience again for the first time?
The FA Cup final again. That would be one that I would go to, but obviously I would like to have changed the outcome of that game. I think being in that and coming second is obviously a big achievement. I think what an incredible achievement to win the FA Cup final, so that would probably be it. I enjoyed the whole day on and off the pitch. The experience was incredible, but obviously it would have been nicer coming away with a first place medal and a trophy.
Which song instantly takes you back to a memory?
Any songs I can think of now all relate to my kids. I don't really listen to much music anymore. If we've got anything on in the car, it will be something like KPop Demon Hunters, and that's quite a nice memory for me because of how much my family means to me. Anything related to the kids makes me happy, so it will be something like that.
What's the first thing you remember saving up to buy?
I think it probably would have been a PlayStation. I had all of them, PlayStation One, PlayStation Two. I probably would have saved up and bought the PlayStation Two myself.
Are there any games you would have got with it?
I used to love playing Tekken, Tomb Raider or a bit of Crash Bandicoot was always a favourite.
What was the first foreign country you visited?
I remember my mum telling me that she took me and my two sisters. She doesn't like flying, but she took all three of us on her own for the first time, so I don't remember that, but I think it probably would have been Germany.
What is your favourite place you've ever been to?
As a kid, it probably would have been Florida, but I think as an adult, it probably would have been when I went to Thailand.
And the one place you want to go?
There's a few. I'd probably say Bali would be top of my list.
Who has influenced your life the most?
I'd probably say my mum. I guess a lot of people probably say people from home, but I think she's always wanted me to follow my dreams. I always go back to when I was younger, she took her driving test and passed her driving test so she could drive me to football, so that I could pursue what I wanted as a dream. It's not been an easy journey with women's football, obviously it's in a much better place now, but she's definitely been my rock to help me be where I am now.
Who is someone who does a lot of acts of kindness for you?
My wife at home. Naturally that's something that she would always do, so I'll say Liz, my wife.
Who makes you laugh the hardest?
If it's outside of football, I'd probably say my little sister. She's quite funny. She can be mature but very immature for her age, bearing in mind she's 30, but she's hilarious.
Which place feels most like home outside your own?
I'd probably say now at football, coming to Charlton, I definitely feel like I'm at home with the group. I've not been here that long, but the girls and the staff have been so welcoming. Football for me is a massive part of my life, so it's nice to have that feeling coming in every day.
What's the biggest risk you've ever taken?
When I signed at Tottenham. When we first were fully professional, obviously I had to give up my full-time job working in a primary school, which I absolutely loved. It was a no-brainer for me, but I think giving up your full-time job with where women's football was then, not knowing how things were going to pan out for me, that would have been it. I'm always one that's quite careful with finances and spending, so I think when you give up one thing that is so secure to then, where women's football was, to not know whether it would be for a year or for two or, as it was, pretty much seven years in the BWSL, then that's quite a big risk for me personally.
How do you look back at that now? How thankful are you that you made the decision?
Oh yeah, 100 per cent. In the moment it was quite an easy one to say 'Yeah, it's my dream, I've always wanted to be a professional footballer'. Then you have to think, it's great but is it actually long term or sustainable? It was a risk, but obviously, I'm so grateful that it's paid off and I am where I am today.
What makes you feel happiest away from football?
Oh, my family. That's easy. I have three kids at home, so that is an easy one for me.
What’s something people can get wrong about you?
The way that I am on the pitch, sometimes I can be quite an aggressive, front-footed player, and I think people sometimes judge me on that. When, actually, off the pitch, you can ask anyone, I would give my last pound to someone, I will do whatever I can to make everyone in the team happy. The way I play on the pitch is not always the case off the pitch. I don't think that's just with me. I think that's with a few players. That's just the way we play football, but off the pitch we're completely different people.
What's one thing you still want to experience?
I'd like to play in the Champions League. I'm not sure how many years I've got left of trying to tick that off my list. We'll see.
What excites you most about the future?
The way women's football is going. I think it’s super exciting. To see how that is going to continue to grow from where it was, and I think a few players that are around my era know where the women's game has come from, to see where it's going now is incredible.
