Junior forward Nicole Douglas set the bar high for herself when she came to the U.S. to play soccer in 2018. She also took a risk leaving England to come play in the U.S., one she feels has paid off.
Since coming to ASU, she has lived up to those expectations under head coach Graham Winkworth, developing into a premier offensive threat and leader on the Sun Devil squad.
Growing up in England, Douglas played among some of the best players Europe had to offer. Douglas played with the Chelsea Ladies Football Club growing up, and she also made appearances at the international youth level with England.
When it was time for her to decide where to continue her playing career, she chose ASU over offers from schools in the SEC and Big 12, as well as a professional contract offer from Chelsea, Douglas said.
Douglas said she chose to play in the NCAA over accepting a professional contract because she had seen older players before her from England make the move to the NCAA and have success.
Douglas admitted the decision was difficult to make, adding she had grown comfortable with Chelsea after spending many years playing with the club. She chose to come to ASU because of the chance to play at a high level, specifically in the Pac-12, and she "fell in love" with the campus and atmosphere on her official visit.
"It was everything that I wanted to have, and I have a great relationship with my coaches," Douglas said.
Winkworth referred to her as a "workhorse," adding how everyone notices her goal-scoring ability, but not many people acknowledge the work she puts in on the defensive side.
"She works extremely hard when we are pressing the opposition, and it's that sort of work ethic that I really appreciate and often goes unnoticed," Winkworth said.
Douglas has become an offensive threat on all levels, recording 20 goals across her first two seasons and five goals in four games this season. She is climbing up the program's record books as well, sitting tied at seventh all-time in most goals scored in a career.
In addition to being a leader on the field, Douglas is also setting an example for underclassmen to follow off the field.
Winkworth said she has a "bubbly" personality and mentioned how she is loved by her all of her teammates.
"She's got the type of personality that you can have a joke and laugh with, have a bit of banter, and it's that type of environment that I really cherish as a coach," Winkworth said.
Freshman defender Lucy Johnson sees her as a "big sister," and she has found it easy to form a personal connection with her from the moment she arrived on campus.
READ MORE: ASU soccer's two English players quickly forming connection on and off the pitch
Douglas views herself as a tone-setter for the team, showing younger players what it takes to be successful in Tempe and how "tough this program is."
Douglas said she has been a center forward for her entire playing career, so leadership comes naturally with the position and embraces that challenge.
As a result of strong play from both Douglas and the team, the Sun Devils are 4-0-0 heading into Pac-12 play.
Reach the reporter at dmwilhe1@asu.edu and follow @dmwilhelm225 on Twitter.
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