Aston Villa Women’s star Alisha Lehmann has once again condemned the sexist abuse she receives on social media as a female footballer embracing her life off the pitch.
The 24-year-old forward, formerly of West Ham, has helped Villa to climb to fifth in the Women’s Super League, scoring four goals and setting up two more this season across 20 appearances to cut herself an impressive prospect in the English top-flight.
But the Swiss international has become almost more well known via her social media presence. The former West Ham and Everton player has steadily accrued a following of 13million on Instagram and 7.8million on TikTok, making her the most-followed female footballer on the planet and eclipsing Swiss tennis legend Roger Federer in follower count.
The mass popularity has seen Lehmann the target of incessant trolling and abuse online, and once again the forward has found herself entreating fans to view her on-pitch exploits in the same light as her life off the pitch.
She told talkSPORT : "Some people just see Instagram and social media and don't even know I actually play football, when I don't post a football picture for a week, people say, 'oh she doesn't even play'.
"I think sometimes it's a bit hard because obviously I play like I train every day, like everyone else, like I play every weekend and sometimes it's hard because they make a picture of you.
"I'm a proper footballer. I work hard every day. I want to be the best version of myself in football and that's my first priority in life.”
It is not the first time Lehmann has opened up on the hardships of wrestling a balance as a social media influencer and professional footballer. In an interview with the Times earlier this year, Lehmann reinforced the need for football and femininity to not be viewed as mutually exclusive entities, while urging future generations to embrace a more complex outlook of footballers.
"The message I want to give to people [is] that you can literally be however you want and still play football,” she said. “Use make-up or do the things you like, do your nails, do your eyelashes, and still play football. It’s not a side you have to pick.
“It’s really important that no one changes because people tell you to. When I was younger a lot of people told me, ‘Oh, you can’t wear make-up. You can’t wear your lashes when you play’.
"At one point I thought, ‘Why not?’ It’s normal and it doesn’t hurt anyone if I do it. I feel like we should see this as normal. Because I’m someone that likes it a lot. I want to look really feminine. It’s my passion.”
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Lehmann’s contract with Villa is set to expire this summer after she signed a one-year extension last summer following her first year with the club. Her star has risen this season under manager Carla Ward’s supervision and Villa will want to keep hold of their player as they bid to break into the WSL’s top four next season.
Villa return to WSL action when they host Liverpool on May 21.
