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"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," she told the BBC. "He's had a cool life, both my parents have, they both came from Nepal.
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.
Ale's parents moved to Britain just before her birth, meaning the 24-year-old was the first of her family born here, in Dorset. 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."
Ale joined Aston Villa aged eight, and it was there that she received her first professional contract after turning 18 in 2019.
This saw her become the first footballer of Nepalese origin to sign a professional contract in England.
Ale, who scored twice in 63 appearances for Villa, added: "My dad is such a family man, he still helps out our family back in Nepal.
"My culture means a lot to me, my mum speaks to me in Nepalese at home. I reply in English though, I am so bad at it. I used to be fluent and go back to Nepal a few times a year.
Ale left Villa for Tottenham Hotspur in 2021, before a loan spell at Leicester turned into a permanent move in the summer of 2024.
She has started every WSL game this season under Rick Passmoor who became Foxes manager on 10 October.
The defender said she was enjoying her adapted position under Passmoor.
"My role has changed quite a lot because I am a full-back, but we play wing-backs most of the time," added Ale.
"It's got me thinking about getting forward more and being a bit more creative with what I do because I do actually think playing wing-back is a bit harder than full-back.
"Ultimately, I feel like I have a bigger role like this season and can affect play a bit more."
Leicester are ninth in the Women's Super League table having won just one game so far this season, but Ale said her whole family were behind them.
"My mum is my number one fan, she watches loads of games," said Ale, who has represented England at under-17, under-18 and under-19 level.
"She really believes in me so always just tells me how it is. Sometimes I get annoyed but I know she only wants what is best for me.
"My dad used to be the same but he stopped doing it as much because it would stress me out too much."
