FORMER England defender Anita Asante wants to see an increase in diverse role models for aspiring footballers in the women’s game, saying the “landscape has changed significantly” since she played for the Lionesses.

Asante made 71 appearances for England between 2004 and 2018, while she also represented Team GB at the 2012 Olympics, won the quadruple with Arsenal in 2007 and went on to play for the likes of Chelsea and Aston Villa before calling time on her career in 2022.

England’s historic success in winning Euro 2022 and reaching the 2023 World Cup final has seen an increase in the number of girls playing football, but the number of black players in the national squad is lower than in previous years.

Out of the 24-strong England squad which recently drew with the United States and beat Switzerland, Jess Carter and Jessica Naz were the only two black players.

Asante, who has turned to coaching since hanging up her boots and has been involved with England’s under-23 side, would like to see more women from ethnic minorities involved in the game at the top level, both on and off the pitch.

The 39-year-old told the PA news agency: “The teams I played in were quite diverse. I played with Alex Scott, Rachel Yankey, Mary Phillip, Lianne Sanderson and that landscape has changed significantly.

“There are multiple reasons for that and it’s not one variable as to why it’s happening, there are multiple variables.

“A lot of the focus is on the pitch, but from my experience there has not been enough diverse coaches or physios or team doctors. I think that can go a long way in supporting people from different cultures coming into the game.

“For all of us, we have childhood icons or role models we look up to or aspire to be like. I didn’t have it, I looked at the men’s game, but [also] looked across to tennis at the time, like the Williams sisters, and that was hugely impactful.

“We talk about representation on the pitch, but for young people if they have that role model or person that looks like them or sounds like them — then that first entry point is a bit easier for them to walk into their local club.

“It’s just making that visibility a tangible thing people can aspire towards. They are out there playing, so what are we missing in our pathways and what are we not doing, are we not resourced enough?”

Asante was speaking at the launch of the Football Associations’s Greener Game programme — a scheme which aims to help community clubs thrive by becoming more sustainable and helping reduce energy use and bills.

Asante said: “I think this will help more clubs find more cost effective ways to save, not just save energy costs but redirect costs and sources into more areas such as pitches, coaches to deliver the game of football.”