Leicester City’s Asmita Ale on family, football and The Foxes

“My dad had to do everything by himself, I hope I am making him proud.”

Leicester City defender Asmita Ale is the daughter of a former Gurkha soldier. Hailing from Nepal, they were recruited by the British Army and famed for their bravery and dedication.

“My dad is kind of a crazy man. I get my weird side from him, I think. He’s had a cool life, both my parents have, they both came from Nepal,” she told the BBC.

Ale’s father, Amrit, served around 19 years in the Army. He combined a successful Armed Forces career with life as a talented squash player, and was picked for Nepal’s national squash team for the South Asian Games.

Although selected and having taken part in training, the Games were cancelled due to the 9/11 terror attacks. He did, however, regularly take part in competitions for the Army.

Her parents moved to Britain just before her birth, meaning she was the first of her family born here. Her family’s passion and drive meant she seemed destined for a life in sport.

“My dad had to do everything by himself. I feel like he is super successful to me and he has some pretty incredible stories from his life,” she added.

“Our family is really sporty and we all look after our health. We have a treadmill and everyone takes turns on it every day. My dad is full on ripped. It’s crazy.”