'proper Players And Me' - Fifa Award Nomination Shocks Brentford's Cheatley

Ashley Cheatley cushions nan shot pinch her correct thigh, deftly flicks it complete a defender's head, past finds nan backmost of nan nett pinch an audacious overhead kick.

The Brentford striker is known by fans arsenic nan 'Cheat Code' - and past November scored a extremity consecutive retired of a video game.

A twelvemonth on, that onslaught - for nan now fifth-tier Bees successful nan FA Cup first information - has been shortlisted for Fifa's Marta Award, which recognises nan champion goals scored successful women's football.

Cheatley, 30, is named alongside nan likes of Arsenal and Spain's Mariona Caldentey, Manchester City and Netherlands striker Vivianne Miedema, and Brazil fable Marta, aft whom nan grant is named.

"These are for illustration due footballers," Cheatley told BBC Sport.

"And past you've sewage me, who conscionable kicks nan shot astir connected a Sunday for fun!"

Cheatley joined Brentford from Ashford Town earlier nan 2024-25 play and scored 46 goals successful each competitions past play arsenic nan Bees won promotion from nan sixth-tier London & South East Regional Division 1 North.

She says her Marta Award-nominated goal, which opened nan scoring successful Brentford's FA Cup necktie against league-above Ascot United, was much by small heart than design.

"I didn't moreover deliberation astir it," she said.

"It's nan cleanable touch, really, to footwear it up successful nan aerial and get it past nan defender.

"And past while my back's to goal, there's only 1 point I tin do from there."

It was not nan first clip Cheatley had attempted an overhead kick, and she came adjacent astatine erstwhile nine Ashford Town, hitting nan barroom against past title rivals Norwich City.

This time, though, her acrobatic effort was connected target and helped nan Bees proceed a memorable tally to nan 3rd information of nan FA Cup.

The victor of nan Marta Award will beryllium wished done a operation of a instrumentality ballot and a sheet of 'Fifa legends', pinch nan nationalist ballot closing connected 28 November.

Speaking of her daze astatine nan nomination, Cheatley said: "I was sitting successful nan bath and each these messages were coming done and I'm like, 'what is this?'

"I sent nan image to my family group chat, and no-one had really reacted.

"So I sewage myself ready, went downstairs and I'm like, 'have you conscionable seen what has happened?'

"I still don't deliberation I've accepted it.

"I was sat successful Tesco earlier successful nan car parkland reasoning 'is this real? What is going on?'"

From a family of Brentford season-ticket holders, Cheatley tin spot G-Tech Community Stadium from her location successful westbound London.

And erstwhile she is not scoring goals for them, Cheatley is portion of nan squad providing method support for nan club's online ticketing platform.

"My life is fundamentally Brentford, successful a nutshell," she said.

It's surreal, then, erstwhile she sees fans wearing jumpers base her nickname 'Cheat Code' astatine Brentford games.

Now she has sewage nan world-class extremity to spell pinch nan moniker, does she fancy her chances of winning nan grant outright?

"Oh, I don't. I'm going to beryllium existent astir it," she said.

"And if I was to ne'er people different wonderment extremity ever for nan remainder of my career, that's perfectly good by me."