Anita Asante

Infobox Football biography
playername = Anita Asante


fullname =
dateofbirth = birth date and age |1985|4|27
cityofbirth =
countryofbirth =
height =
nickname =
position = Defender, Midfielder
currentclub = flagicon|England Chelsea Ladies
clubnumber =
youthyears = 1998 – 2003
youthclubs = Arsenal Ladies
years = 2003-20082008-present
clubs = Arsenal Ladies
Chelsea Ladies
caps(goals) = 037 0(1)
nationalyears = 2004 – present
nationalteam = flagicon|ENG England
nationalcaps(goals) = 031 0(1)cite web |url=http://www.thefa.com/Womens/EnglandSenior/PlayersAndCoaches/Postings/2005/05/AnitaAsante_profile.htm |title=Anita Asante, Arsenal |accessdate=2007-05-09 |work=England:Players and Coaches |publisher=The Football Association]
pcupdate = 20 May, 2007
ntupdate = 22 September, 2007

Anita Asante (born April 27, 1985), is an English football player. She plays as a defender for the English side Chelsea Ladies, and for the England national team. She is of Ghanaian descent.

Education

Anita studied Politics and [http://www.brunel.ac.uk/courses/ug/cdata/e/EnglishBA English BA] at the Business School of Brunel University in London, benefiting from the UK "Government's Talented Athletes Scholarship Scheme" which helps athletes in full-time education.cite web |url=http://www.brunel.ac.uk/news/sport/cdata/BrunelStudentsCompetinginEuropeanChampionshipandLionsTour |title=Brunel Students Competing in European Championship and Lions Tour |accessdate=2007-05-09 |year=2005 |publisher=Brunel University]

Career

Anita joined Arsenal, her first club in 1988 as a junior. [cite web |url=http://www.arsenal.com/player.asp?thisNav=ladies&plid=60448&clid=4433&cpid=827 |title=18. Anita Asante |accessdate=2007-05-09 |work=Arsenal Official website |publisher=Arsenal F.C.] She became a senior player in 2003/2004 season. Asante was part of the Arsenal team that won the quadruple in 2006/2007, winning the UEFA Women's Cup, FA Women's National Premier League, FA Women's Cup and the FA Women's Premier League Cup. [cite web |url=http://www.thefa.com/Womens/TheFAWomensCup/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2007/05/FAWCMatchReport.htm |title=Arsenal clinch quadruple |accessdate=2007-05-09 |date=2007-05-07 |author=Stuart Mawhinney |work=FA women's cup |publisher=The Football Association] [cite web |url=http://www.uefa.com/competitions/womencup/news/kind=1/newsid=536117.html |title=Arsenal complete unique quadruple |accessdate=2007-05-09 |date=2007-05-07 |work=Latest news |publisher=UEFA] [cite web |url=http://www.arsenal.com/article.asp?thisNav=Ladies&article=344199&Title=Ladies+Honours |title=Arsenal Ladies Honours |accessdate=2007-05-09 |work=Arsenal Official website |publisher=Arsenal F.C.] Anita 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. [cite web |url=http://www.arsenal.com/matchreport.asp?thisNav=fixtures&fxid=311081 |title=Match Report |author=Chris Harris |accessdate=2007-05-09 |date=2007-04-29 |work=Arsenal Official website |publisher=Arsenal] [cite web |url=http://uk.sports.yahoo.com/29042007/8/photo/arsenal-s-jayne-ludlow-anita-asante-lift-uefa-womens-cup.html |title=Arsenal's Jayne Ludlow and Anita Asante lift the Uefa Women's Cup. |accessdate=2007-05-09 |publisher=Yahoo! Sports ] Anita is reported to have played exceptionally well. [cite web |url=http://www.uefa.com/competitions/womencup/news/kind=1/newsid=530209.html |title=Arsenal's Asante stands tall |accessdate=2007-05-09 |date=2007-04-23 |author=Paul Saffer |work=Latest news |publisher=UEFA]

She played in the England Under 17 women's team. She also was a member and captain of the England women's Under 19 team and played in the inaugural FIFA World Under 19 Youth 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 21 women in 2004, a month after her senior international début. [cite web |url=http://www.femalesoccer.net/wB_show_page?wB_page=wB_article&wB_tab=show&wB_id=1817&wB_email=&wB_name=&wB_telephone=&wB_company=&wB_company_address=&wB_purchase_order=&wB_client= |title=Powell names first ever England Under 21 Squad |accessdate=2007-05-09 |publisher=Female Soccer]

Anita 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. [cite web |url=http://www.thefa.com/Womens/EnglandSenior/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2005/05/EnglandWomens_NorwayReport.htm |title=Anita nets winner |accessdate=2007-05-09 |author=Tony Leighton |date=2005-05-07 |work=England:News and Features |publisher=The Football Association]

On 3 July, 2008, it was announced that Asante along with fellow team mate 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.'

Honours

;Personal
*Outstanding Achievement Awards - 19 May 2006 - Presented by the Queen at Brunel University [cite web |url=http://www.brunel.ac.uk/news/pressoffice/pressreleases/2006/cdata/may/Queen+at+Brunel |title=The Queen visits Brunel University |accessdate=2007-05-09 |date=2006-05-19 |work=Press release |publisher=Brunel University]
*Player of the year - (2003/2004)
*Sports Award - (Ghana Professional Awards 2004) [cite web |url=http://www.ghana-com.co.uk/pr0704.html |title=Ghana's envoy to the UK wins Person of the Year Award |accessdate=2007-05-09 |date=July 2004 |work=Press release |publisher=Ghana High Commission UK] [cite web |url=http://www.voiceofafricaradio.com/ghana-professionals-award.php |title=Ghana Professional Awards (GPA) 2004 |accessdate=2007-05-09 |publisher=Voice of Africa Radio]
*Nationwide Player of the month - March 2006 [cite web |url=http://www.thefa.com/Womens/PremierLeague/NewsAndFeatures/Postings/2006/03/Anita_Award_boost.htm |title=Anita earns Award boost |accessdate=2007-05-09 |date=accessdate=2007-05-09 |work=Women's Premier League |publisher=The Football Association] ;Team
*UEFA Women's Cup - (Arsenal) 2007
*FA Women's Cup - (Arsenal) 2004, 2006, 2007, 2008
*FA Women's National Premier League - (Arsenal) 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008
*FA Women's Premier League Cup - (Arsenal) 2005, 2005, 2007
*Quadruple winners - 2007 (UEFA cup, League, League cup and FA cup)
*Double winners - 2006, 2008 (League and FA cup)

References

External links and sources

* [http://www.arsenal.com/player.asp?thisNav=ladies&plid=60448&clid=4433&cpid=827 Arsenal player profile]
* [http://www.thefa.com/Womens/EnglandSenior/PlayersAndCoaches/Postings/2005/05/AnitaAsante_profile.htm England player profile]
* [http://www.brunel.ac.uk/3/News%20Images/QueenAthleteseniolaanita1740.jpgEniola Aluko (left) and Anita Asante receiving Outstanding Achievement Awards from the Queen]

Persondata
NAME=Asante, Anita
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION=Arsenal and England ladies footballer
DATE OF BIRTH=April 27, 1985
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=Living
PLACE OF DEATH=