Alisha Lehmann: Leicester striker on social media and coping with online criticism

Leicester City striker Alisha Lehmann is arguably the most recognisable female footballer in the world.

Boasting nearly 16 million followers on Instagram and a further 11.8 million on TikTok, she walked the catwalks of Milan last year while playing in Italy and her striking looks regularly catch the attention of the tabloids.

By her own recognition, that can establish a certain public perception - and it is something she is keen to quash after swapping Mediterranean life for a relegation battle in the East Midlands.

The publicity surrounding her January move focused as much on her off-field persona as what she brought to the team.

"When I was younger, it affected me more because I didn't know how to handle the situation," she says. "There were moments where I was really sad and I used to ask my mum if I could not play football anymore.

"Football is the thing I love the most and it's what I have put the most time into. I rest so well, I sleep every afternoon and I would never do anything before training or a game that would affect how I play. I care so much about it.

"People don't know how much effort I actually put in when they say 'Oh, she's not a footballer'.

"But now, I'm fine. I love my life and the people around me and I don't get affected by it."

She is likely to spearhead Leicester's attack on Sunday in the BBC-televised game against Aston Villa (14:45 GMT).

Swiss-born Lehmann, 26, has spoken in the past about how she hopes to use her social media platform to build the profile of women's football and bring the game to a new audience.

For comparison, England's Chloe Kelly and Alessia Russo have 1.5 million and 1.1 million Instagram followers respectively, while ex-US star Alex Morgan has 9 million.

Her posts alternate between lifestyle content and her football, catering for a broad and diverse following, but make her a target for those who seek to criticise.

"Sometimes, it's frustrating," she tells BBC Sport. "People don't see the work that I put in. They think I just train and then go home to make TikToks - it's not true.

"I'm very professional. I always give everything on the pitch and I want to be the best. If I've not done my best when I check my data after training, I will do extra rounds to try to improve.

"People can think what they want but everything I do is focused on being the best player I can be."

Lehmann first moved to the Women's Super League in 2018, joining West Ham after scoring twice in the 2018 European Under-19 Championship.

Across six years in England, she made 108 appearances, scoring 19 goals and providing 10 assists during spells in east London, Everton and Aston Villa.

After a difficult time in Italy with Juventus and then Como, Lehmann says returning to a country she thinks of as "home" was an obvious decision.

"I signed a long-term deal in Como but after a month I realised I didn't like it and wanted to return to England," she explains.

"I love it here, the football is better and England feels like home to me."

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