Alisha Lehmann

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6 Mar 2024

Alisha Lehmann

Alisha Debora Lehmann, born on 21 January 1999, is a Swiss professional footballer known for her role as a forward. As of now, she plays for Women's Super League club Aston Villa and represents the Switzerland national team. Lehmann has a notable football career, having previously played for BSC YB Frauen in the Nationalliga A, West Ham United in the FA WSL, and had a loan spell with Everton in the FA WSL. Her contributions to various clubs highlight her skills and versatility in the forward position.

BSC YB Frauen

Alisha Debora Lehmann initiated her football journey at the age of nine with FC Konolfingen, where she played from 2008 to 2011. At the age of 12, she made a significant move to join the U14 BSC YB team. In a remarkable display of dedication and skill, Lehmann also underwent training with the U13 to U15 boys' teams three times a week, even participating in two matches on the male junior teams.

Her senior professional career began at the age of 17 with the Swiss club BSC YB. Lehmann made an impactful debut season by scoring a hat-trick in a 3–0 victory against FC Staad. She emerged as the top scorer for her team, netting nine goals in that season. Throughout her tenure with BSC YB, Lehmann continued to showcase her goal-scoring prowess, accumulating a total of 25 goals in 52 league appearances for the club. Her early success at the senior level hinted at a promising future for the Swiss forward.

West Ham United

Alisha Debora Lehmann made a significant move to the newly-professional Super League's West Ham United from BSC YB Frauen in August 2018. Reports indicated that West Ham manager Matt Beard was particularly impressed by Lehmann's performances at the 2018 U-19 European Championship, which Switzerland hosted.

Lehmann quickly made an impact at West Ham, showcasing her goal-scoring abilities. On 20 February 2019, she scored both goals in a 2–1 victory over Reading. Her contributions were recognized in April 2019 when West Ham extended Lehmann's contract after she scored nine goals in 30 appearances across all competitions. Notably, she played a crucial role in helping the club reach the FA Cup final, scoring the equalizing goal in the semi-final match against Reading on 14 April 2019.

Continuing her impressive run, Lehmann scored a crucial goal on 3 November 2019 against Reading in the 75th minute, securing a 1–0 win and helping her team advance to the knockout stage of the 2019–20 Conti Cup. Another memorable performance occurred on 19 January 2020 when, facing a 1–0 deficit against Brighton, Lehmann scored two goals in the 80th and 83rd minute, leading her team to a 2–1 victory.

Her notable contributions during the 2019–20 season earned Lehmann a spot on the shortlist for the BBC Super League Young Player of the Season award, recognizing her talent and impact in the league. Lehmann's time at West Ham United highlighted her effectiveness as a forward and solidified her reputation as a rising star in women's football.

Everton (loan)

On 27 January 2021, it was officially revealed that Alisha Debora Lehmann had undertaken a loan move to Everton, a noteworthy development in her career. This loan arrangement was set to last until the conclusion of the season, providing Lehmann with a different playing environment and fresh challenges.

Her debut start for Everton occurred on 14 February, in a match against Reading, marking the beginning of her contributions to the team. Lehmann demonstrated her goal-scoring prowess when she found the back of the net in a match against Birmingham City on 11 March, showcasing her ability to make an impact on the field during her loan stint with Everton. This temporary move allowed Lehmann to gain valuable experience and contribute to the success of her loaned team in the specified period.

Aston Villa

Alisha Debora Lehmann continued her football journey by joining Aston Villa for the 2021–22 season. Making a significant impact, she scored her first two goals for Aston Villa on 2 December 2021 in a match against Sunderland. In a later game against Leicester City on 23 January 2023, with the score tied at 1–1, Lehmann scored a dramatic winner in the 93rd minute, showcasing her ability to influence crucial moments.

Her outstanding performances did not go unnoticed, as Lehmann was named Women's Supporters' Player of the Season for the 2021–22 campaign. In July 2022, she further solidified her commitment to Aston Villa by signing a one-year contract extension for the 2022–23 season. During her first season with the club, Lehmann made 23 appearances and scored four goals.

A remarkable performance unfolded on 26 March 2023, where Lehmann contributed two goals and an assist in a commanding 5–0 victory against Leicester City. Her exceptional statistics included completing 100 percent of her dribbles, earning her the title of Player of the Match.At the conclusion of the 2022–23 season, having made a total of 54 appearances for Aston Villa, Lehmann committed to an extended contract until June 2026, with the option of further extension beyond that date. This extension reflected the club's recognition of her significant contributions and the confidence they had in her continued impact on the team.

Alisha Debora Lehmann began her international career with the Swiss U-17 national team, making her debut on 11 April 2015, in a convincing 8–1 victory against Serbia during the elite qualifying round of the 2015 U-17 European Championship. She swiftly made an impact by scoring her first goal five days later in a match against Finland, sealing the score at 4–0 in the 61st minute. During the final tournament, Lehmann played in five out of six games, contributing a crucial goal in a 1–0 win against the Republic of Ireland and helping Switzerland finish first in their group. Despite reaching the final, Switzerland faced a 5–2 defeat against Spain.

In the 2016 U-17 European Championship qualifiers, Lehmann was called up by coach Monica Di Fonzo. She played in all three preliminary phase matches, scoring against both Serbia and Lithuania. Lehmann continued her participation in the next three elite phase matches, although Switzerland was eventually eliminated.Selected by coach Nora Häuptle for the qualifying phases of the 2017 U-19 European Championship, Lehmann made her U19 national team debut on 18 October 2016, against Estonia, and scored her first U19 goal in the same match. She went on to score a hat-trick in the following match against Croatia and another hat-trick in a 3–3 draw with Czechia. Although Lehmann played in all the remaining matches of the elite phase, Switzerland did not qualify for the tournament.

At the U-19 European Championship held in Switzerland in July 2018, Lehmann played a significant role. She scored the equalizer in the 80th minute against France, and after a 2–0 loss to Spain, she found the net again in a 3–1 win over Norway. Despite her contributions, the Swiss team retired in the preliminary round with one win, one draw, and one loss. Lehmann played in all three games during the championship.