Alisha Lehmann opens up on social media abuse - '100 per cent you want my life'

The Aston Villa star is immensely popular and has over 13 million followers on Instagram and 7.8 million on TikTok.

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It has made her the most followed female footballer in the world, and she even has more than fellow Swiss athlete Roger Federer.

However, the 24-year-old is still a target for vicious trolls on social media and she suffers from torrents of sexist abuse.

But Lehmann still keeps her head high and insists the abuse comes from jealousy over her life.

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She told Sky Sports: "For myself, it gives me strength I would say. Because I think '100 per cent you want my life'.

"So why would he say that? So it is probably like jealousy, or people just don't want to see it, or they are just bored in life.

"Behind the computers, it is easy to say stuff. I don't feel like someone would stand in front of us, in women's football, and say you are so bad, women can't play.

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"I don't really care, to be honest. I don't read the stuff, I mostly feel bad for my family.

"My mum sends me stuff and I feel like 'mum, don't read this, it is not important'.

"It doesn't even affect me because I know those people are not important to me.

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"It is more annoying that my family reads it or someone close to me and ask me about it afterward.

"I say 'look, it doesn't affect me. I am strong with what I am doing and if people are not happy, that is their choice. It doesn't affect me'."

Lehmann has made 20 appearances in the Women's Super League this season, scoring four and setting up two for Villa.

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She is out of contract this summer having penned a one-year deal last year while she has already played for West Ham and Everton in this country.

Lehmann spoke to talkSPORT earlier this year about her growing status on social media, admitting it is not something she spends too much time thinking about.

"To be honest, I don't really think about it," she said. "It's not something where I wake up every day and think, oh my God, I have so many followers.

"It's more that it's really nice, the support and everything and it's also a big opportunity.

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"I would like to show the world that women can actually do it in football and you don't need to just to be normal.

"You can also be a bit crazy, just be you, and use your personality to show the world who you are."