The tussle for the title of 2023’s most unlikely crossover has been thrown wide open after a video emerged online of Aston Villa and Switzerland international footballer Alisha Lehmann teaming up with famed trainspotting fanatic Francis Bourgeois.
It comes just days after a clip of WWE wrestler-turned-Hollywood actor John Cena commending Newcastle United defender Dan Burn on his choice of car went viral on social media, in another of this year’s most bizarre crossovers.
Lehmann signed for Villa from West Ham in 2021, following a loan spell at Everton and the 24-year-old has scored four times in 21 appearances in the Women’s Super League this season.
The forward is popular on social media, with her 13 million followers on Instagram eclipsing that of Jude Bellingham, Jack Grealish and compatriot Roger Federer.
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Bourgeois, meanwhile, has close to two million Instagram followers, three million on TikTok, and a television series titled ‘Trainspotting with Francis Bourgeois’ which has featured the likes of Tom Daley, musician Sam Ryder and Nottingham Forest star Jesse Lingard.
In the clip, which has quickly racked up viewing figures in the hundreds of thousands on social media, Lehmann and Bourgeois can be seen aboard a Class-37 locomotive, a vehicle the latter declares “an absolute beast”.
The unlikely pair even take the train for a spin, with Bourgeois declaring that “Alisha appreciated it too.”
He then gets her to honk the horn before letting her have a go at driving the train herself.
“What on God’s Green Earth is this crossover?” one user wrote on Twitter.
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“The most unlikely crossover of all time,” another added.
While a third wrote: “This man is the purest of the pure, protect him.”
Despite her popularity online, however, Lehmann admits she often gets frustrated people don’t see her as a footballer first and foremost.
“Some people just see Instagram and social media and don't even know I actually play football,” she told talkSPORT in February.
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“When I don’t post a football picture for a week, people say, ‘oh she doesn't even play'.
“I think sometimes it's a bit hard because obviously I play like I train every day, like everyone else, like I play every weekend and sometimes it's hard because they make a picture of you.
“I'm a proper footballer. I work hard every day. I want to be the best version of myself in football and that's my first priority in life.”
Featured Image Credit: TikTokTopics: Aston Villa, Womens Super League