Anita Asante

Anita Amma Ankyewah Asante (born 27 April 1985) is an English football coach and former player who is the first-team coach at Bristol City. A defender or midfielder, she won 71 caps for the English national team and was selected in the Great Britain squad for the 2012 London Olympics. At club level, Asante has played for English clubs Arsenal, Chelsea and Aston Villa, whilst also having played for Saint Louis Athletica, Chicago Red Stars, Washington Freedom and Sky Blue FC of the American Women's Professional Soccer (WPS). She also spent six seasons playing in Sweden, two with Göteborg and then four with FC Rosengård.

Education
Asante studied politics and English BA at the Business School of Brunel University in London, whilst also benefiting from the UK "Government's Talented Athletes Scholarship Scheme", which helps athletes in full-time education. She started a PhD in the United States looking at the governorship of women's football and plans to complete after her professional playing career ends.

Club career
Asante joined her first club Arsenal as a junior in 1998. She became a senior player in 2003/2004 season. Asante was part of the Arsenal team that won the quadruple in 2006/2007, collecting the UEFA Women's Cup, FA Women's National Premier League, FA Women's Cup and the FA Women's Premier League Cup. Asante was part of the Arsenal team that made history by being the first team outside Germany or Scandinavia to win the UEFA Women's Cup. Asante is reported to have played exceptionally well in the final.

On 3 July 2008, it was announced that Asante along with teammate Lianne Sanderson had joined Chelsea Ladies. Upon signing Asante said: "I want to compete with the likes of Arsenal and Everton and hopefully get to some finals, like the League Cup Final. But I also don't want to assume anything; it is going to take a lot of hard work as well as getting the girls together to seek that ambition. But it is such a great squad here at Chelsea, with lots of enthusiasm and lots of young players. We also know a lot of the younger players who were at Arsenal before and our England team mates, but there are so many other players who want to win things and will be up for it this season."

Arsenal manager Vic Akers publicly criticized the players after their departure: "You think you've the respect of players, and then they do that. It's a sorry state of affairs."

In 2009 Asante joined New Jersey–based WPS franchise Sky Blue FC. She helped the club win the inaugural WPS championship. On 6 May 2010 Asante was traded to the Saint Louis Athletica in return for India Trotter. When the Saint Louis Athletica folded on 27 May 2010, she was acquired by the Chicago Red Stars. She was subsequently traded to the Washington Freedom on 6 August 2010.

In December 2010 Asante returned for a second spell at Sky Blue FC, after Jim Gabarra, her coach at Washington Freedom, took the reins at Sky Blue. With the demise of WPS prior to the 2012 season, Asante signed a contract with Swedish club Kopparbergs/Göteborg FC. Her first match for Göteborg was back at Arsenal in the UEFA Women's Champions League quarter final, a 3–1 first leg defeat. Asante played 41 league games for Göteborg over the two seasons, scoring nine goals. She won the Swedish Cup and the Swedish Super Cup with KGFC, before she signed for national champions LdB FC Malmö in October 2013. Due to a foot injury, it was not expected that Asante could play in Malmö's looming Champions League fixture with holders VfL Wolfsburg. Asante, won several titles at FC Rosengård (formerly known as LdB Malmö) including the Damallsvenskan league 2014, 2015, the Swedish Cup (Svenska Cupen) 2016 and the Swedish Super Cup (Svenska Supercupen) 2016, 2017 and runners up in 2015. Anita has reached the quarter finals of Champions League three seasons with FCR.

On 7 June 2020, she signed for newly-promoted club Aston Villa, ahead of their maiden WSL campaign. Asante's first goal for her new club was the deciding goal in a 1–0 victory away to rivals Birmingham City. On 26 April 2022, Asante announced her intention to retire from playing at the end of that season.

England
Asante played in the England Under 17 team. She also was a member and captain of the England Under 19s and played in the inaugural FIFA World Under 19 Championship in Canada in 2002. She won 11 international caps in all at this level. She was in the first call up for the England Under 21s in 2004, a month after her senior international début.

Asante made her senior international début as a substitute against Iceland in May 2004. Her first full international was against Northern Ireland in March 2005. She scored her first international goal in only her second full international which was against Norway in April 2005. This turned out to be the winning goal. Asante was named in England's squad for Euro 2005.

Asante played in the 2011 World Cup and made her 50th senior international appearance in England's 2–0 win over eventual champions Japan. Having been part of the English squad which reached the final of Euro 2009, Asante was confident of England's chances ahead of Euro 2013. She was substituted at half time in England's 3–0 defeat to France which sealed a first round elimination.

In 2015, the politically vocal Asante was "a glaring omission" from England's squad for the 2015 World Cup in Canada. She had been the only English player to sign a petition against the controversial artificial turf used at the tournament. She criticised the head coach Mark Sampson for the manner in which he informed her of her non selection, and his unwillingness to enter into further correspondence on the matter.

Incoming England head coach Phil Neville surprisingly recalled Asante in his first squad, for the 2018 SheBelieves Cup. At the opening match of the tournament, a 4–1 win over France, Asante suffered an anterior cruciate ligament injury and was substituted after 14 minutes.

She was allotted 152 when the FA announced their legacy numbers scheme to honour the 50th anniversary of England's inaugural international.

Great Britain Olympic
In June 2012 Asante was named in the 18-player Great Britain squad for the 2012 London Olympics. She played in all four games as Great Britain were beaten 2–0 by Canada in the last eight.

Bristol City
On 19 July 2022, Asante was announced as first team coach of Women's Championship side Bristol City W.F.C. Bristol City would be promoted during the 2022–23 season.

Personal life
Asante is openly lesbian and is in a relationship with ITV News Sports reporter and presenter Beth Fisher. They married on 20 January 2023.

International goals

 * Scores and results list England's goal tally first

Honours
Arsenal Göteborg FC Rosengård
 * UEFA Women's Cup: 2007
 * FA Women's Cup: 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008
 * FA Women's National Premier League: 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
 * FA Women's Premier League Cup: 2005, 2005, 2007
 * Svenska Cupen: 2012
 * Svenska Supercupen: 2013
 * Svenska Cupen: 2016
 * Svenska Supercupen: 2015, runners up; 2016, 2017
 * Individual
 * Outstanding Achievement Awards – 19 May 2006 - Presented by the Queen at Brunel University
 * Player of the year – (2003/04)
 * Sports Award – (Ghana Professional Awards 2004)
 * Nationwide Player of the month – March 2006
 * Women's Super League Hall of Fame: 2023