Football awards are among the most anticipated events of the season for fans. Seeing your favourite player receive the player of the season award at the conclusion of the season, but how would it feel if a very deserving player missed out on the opportunity to win the fans’ player of the season just because they had the benefit of fame?
Alisha Lehmann only joined Leicester City W.F.C midway through the 2025-206 season after spells in Italy with Juventus and Como. Since her arrival in January, she made only nine Women’s Super League appearances, started only five matches, and scored only one goal in a campaign where Leicester City faced a fate worse than defeat: Relegation.
Despite a questionable spell as per the standards of football as we consider them today, Leicester fans voted her as both the club’s Player of the Season and winner of Goal of the Season for her strike against former club Aston Villa. That instantly triggered backlash across football Twitter.
🚨 Alisha Lehmann won Leicester City’s Fans' Player of the Season and Goal of the Season…
— Now Football (@Nowfootball) May 7, 2026
She played 415 minutes & scored 1 goal all season😂😂😂 pic.twitter.com/GoFCL0PmnF
One of the viral reactions on X read: “Player of the Season cos you fancy her?” while another user sarcastically asked whether the award “was in her contract.” Others argued that merit-based awards were being turned into popularity contests driven by social media fame rather than footballing impact.
The frustration was rightly amplified as Leicester endured a disastrous season overall. Fans were quick to point out that players who consistently showed up for the club when they needed them most and fought through the relegation battle were overlooked in favour of the club’s biggest celebrity. Some supporters even questioned why end-of-season celebrations were happening at all after finishing bottom of the table.
Alisha Lehmann has scored 1 goal and played 415 minutes this season… 😂 https://t.co/JBh3dxSoVQ
— Out of Context Football Manager (@nocontextfm1) May 6, 2026
Leicester City Women’s season itself also provides important context behind the backlash. The Foxes endured a disastrous Women’s Super League campaign, struggling near the bottom of the table for most of the year while suffering defensive collapses and a severe lack of attacking output. Lehmann only arrived midway through the season from Como and played limited minutes, which further fuelled criticism from fans who believed the award reflected her social media popularity more than on-pitch impact.
Several Leicester players were viewed by supporters as having stronger footballing cases for recognition. Veteran midfielder Janice Cayman was widely praised for her consistency and leadership during a turbulent season, while Courtney Nevin regularly stood out defensively despite Leicester’s poor results. Sophie Howard remained one of the few experienced figures holding together an unstable backline, and Jutta Rantala delivered important attacking moments before injury setbacks disrupted her season. Many fans online argued that those players represented Leicester’s campaign more accurately than Lehmann, whose global fame and online following inevitably influenced public voting narratives.
The reaction also revealed the complicated relationship modern football shares with social influence. Lehmann’s fame extended far beyond traditional football audiences. She has become a crossover celebrity, appearing in fashion campaigns, brand deals, and entertainment projects while remaining one of the sport’s most recognisable faces. That visibility naturally translates into fan votes, especially when awards are decided publicly rather than by coaches or journalists.
Lehmann has often come out and spoken out on being unfairly judged because of her online popularity over her footballing skills. In previous interviews, She said many people online have assumed she spends more time making tik toks than practicing dribbling and shooting on the pitch.
There is also an argument that her arrival brought attention and visibility to Leicester Women during a difficult season. Even critics acknowledged that her goal against Aston Villa was genuinely one of the better moments in an otherwise miserable campaign.
However, for many football fans, the issue is symbolic of a wider fear in modern sport: that popularity is beginning to outweigh performances. In an era where players are global influencers as much as athletes, awards decided by fan voting can quickly become contests of fame rather than football.
Whether fair or unfair, Lehmann’s award win has once again proven one thing. Few players in women’s football generate conversation quite like her.
