Women’s football never gets the same coverage as its male counterpart, nor does it trend as often.
And when it does, it’s usually for all the wrong reasons.
Today is no different.
Whether it’s compilations of bad in-game moments, objectification reels, or unfair comparisons with men, the discourse always seems to follow the same pattern.
And today, the topic of discussion on Twitter is Ashleigh Neville—or rather, her unconventional hairstyle.
Ashleigh joined Spurs in 2017 and has been a loyal servant to the club ever since.
The 31-year-old primarily plays as a right-back.
She is a solid defender who is known for her tenacity, work rate, and resilience. She also holds the capacity to provide support in attack.
Named in the PFA Women’s Championship Team of the Year (2018-19) – Ashleigh is Tottenham’s finest.
But X couldn’t care less about that.
Instead, people were quick to compare her haircut to Spock from Star Trek or Jim Carrey’s infamous bowl cut in Dumb and Dumber.
Cole Palmer comparisons also made the rounds. “Same energy,” one tweet read, above a photo of Palmer.
But the worst of it? The comparisons to Lego toy figure haircuts.
It got to the point where Spurs ended up deleting the photos from their X handle.
But, as we said before, this whole situation feels distasteful.
Women’s football—and its players—deserve better.
There are so many great things about Ashleigh that deserve the spotlight. For instance, Neville balances her football career with motherhood, an aspect of her life she has spoken about in interviews.
Maybe that’s the fuel for her. Perhaps she has incorporated that love and feeling into her football.
There are so many things.
But well, Twitter be Twitter.
As for Spurs, they currently sit sixth in the league, coming off a hat-trick of losses.
The latest was a 5-0 thrashing at the hands of North London rivals Arsenal.
Next up? A home game against Manchester City.
