Ifeoma Dieke

Ifeoma Nnenna Dieke (born 25 February 1981) is an American-born, Scottish football defender, currently playing for Vittsjö GIK of the Swedish Damallsvenskan. Since 2004, she has appeared on 109 occasions for the Scotland women's national football team. Dieke was born in Amherst, Massachusetts, to Nigerian parents, moving to Cumbernauld in Scotland when she was three years old. Her first name "Ifeoma" means "Good thing" in the Igbo language. Dieke and fellow Scot Kim Little were the only non-English players selected in the Great Britain squad for the 2012 London Olympics.

Dieke started her football career when she was eight years old, playing for her primary school St Mary's. She later joined Cumbernauld Cosmos, from where she moved to Cumbernauld Ladies. In 1999, she was awarded a scholarship by Florida International University, playing for the university's FIU Golden Panthers women's soccer team. She graduated in 2003 and joined Women's United Soccer Association side Atlanta Beat. She started eight of 13 regular season games and scored one goal. The league folded at the end of her first season, and Dieke later played in Sweden (for QBIK in 2007 and for Kristianstads DFF in 2008) and Cyprus.

In 2009 she joined the Chicago Red Stars. In the inaugural 2009 Women's Professional Soccer season, Dieke appeared in 14 games.

During the WPS offseason in 2011, Dieke joined Cypriot club, Apollon Limassol on loan from Boston Breakers. The WPS folded ahead of the 2012 season and Dieke returned to Sweden, signing for Damallsvenskan newcomers Vittsjö GIK. Despite missing almost the entire 2013 Damallsvenskan season through injury, Dieke was given a new contract by Vittsjö ahead of 2014.

Dieke could have chosen to represent Scotland, United States or Nigeria at international level.

Dieke made her Scotland debut in January 2004 against Greece and earned her 50th cap against Northern Ireland in May 2009.

In 2012 Dieke was selected for a place in the Great Britain team at the 2012 London Olympics. Along with Scotland team-mate Kim Little, Dieke was one of only two non-English players in the squad. She played alongside Casey Stoney in central defence, but suffered knee ligament damage in the second group match and had to withdraw from the squad. Medical tests showed that she had ruptured an anterior cruciate ligament, which prevented her from playing in the rest of the UEFA Women's Euro 2013 qualifying matches.

Team GB coach Hope Powell said of Dieke: "Ife’s a great defender one-v-one. She probably prefers a centre-half role but can play anywhere along the back."