# Ashley Cain (footballer)
**Ashley Cain** (full name Ashley Thomas Cain, born 1990 in Nuneaton, England) is an English former professional footballer who played as a right midfielder, chiefly for Coventry City, Mansfield Town, Tamworth, and AFC Telford United, and who later became known for long-distance charity challenges in memory of his daughter Azaylia, who died from childhood cancer.[1](https://www.transfermarkt.com/ashley-cain/profil/spieler/92457) • [2](https://www.the-independent.com/news/uk/childhood-cancer-phd-coventry-city-b2542743.html)
| Key fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name and birth | Ashley Thomas Cain, born 1990, Nuneaton, England[1](https://www.transfermarkt.com/ashley-cain/profil/spieler/92457) |
| Position | Right midfield; right-footed[1](https://www.transfermarkt.com/ashley-cain/profil/spieler/92457) |
| Senior clubs | Coventry City (trainee), Luton Town (loan), Oxford United (loan), Mansfield Town, Tamworth, AFC Telford United, CS Gaz Metan Medias (Romania), Barwell[3](https://www.11v11.com/players/ashley-cain-229651/) • [4](https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=50861) • [5](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/18533157) |
| League record | 44 league appearances (23 as substitute) and 1 league goal, per Soccerbase[4](https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=50861) |
| Retirement | Listed as retired since 1 July 2014, last club Coventry Sphinx[1](https://www.transfermarkt.com/ashley-cain/profil/spieler/92457) |
| Ultraman 2024 | Almost 3,000 miles, Land's End to John O'Groats three times (running, cycling, kayaking), begun 24 April 2024 to fund childhood cancer research[2](https://www.the-independent.com/news/uk/childhood-cancer-phd-coventry-city-b2542743.html) |
## Football career
**Coventry City.** Cain came through at Coventry City as a trainee and appeared for the club in the League Championship as a substitute in both the 2008-09 and 2009-10 seasons, five and two substitute appearances respectively, and made one League Cup start in 2009-10.[3](https://www.11v11.com/players/ashley-cain-229651/) In November 2009 he joined Luton Town on loan, and in February 2010 he moved on loan to Oxford United, then in the Conference Premier, where he made one league appearance.[3](https://www.11v11.com/players/ashley-cain-229651/) • [6](https://fbref.com/en/players/3f817c16/Ashley-Cain) In March 2010 Coventry announced that Cain, Adam Walker, and Curtis Wynter would all leave the club in the summer.[7](https://www.skysports.com/football/player/17193/ashley-cain)
**Lower-league and non-league clubs.** Cain signed for Mansfield Town in July 2010 and spent the 2010-11 season there, scoring one league goal in 17 league appearances (3 as substitute).[4](https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=50861) He joined Tamworth on a free transfer in June 2011, making 12 league appearances, before moving to AFC Telford United in November 2011, where he made 15 league appearances without scoring.[4](https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=50861)
**Move abroad.** After his release by AFC Telford in 2012, the 21-year-old winger had a successful trial with the Romanian League club CS Gaz Metan Medias, earning a place on their pre-season tour to Hungary, and Soccerbase records him at Metan Medias from August 2012 to January 2014.[5](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/18533157) • [4](https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=50861) He signed for Barwell in January 2014 and was subsequently listed as retired, with Transfermarkt recording his last club as Coventry Sphinx.[4](https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=50861) • [1](https://www.transfermarkt.com/ashley-cain/profil/spieler/92457)
## Ultraman 2024 and charity work
In 2024 Cain undertook a challenge he called the Ultraman 2024: traveling from Land's End to John O'Groats three times, once running, once cycling, and once kayaking, in a journey of almost 3,000 miles across Britain. The challenge began on 24 April, the anniversary of the death of his daughter Azaylia, and he said he hoped it would create a legacy for her while raising money for more research into childhood cancer.[2](https://www.the-independent.com/news/uk/childhood-cancer-phd-coventry-city-b2542743.html) At the time he was 33 years old.[2](https://www.the-independent.com/news/uk/childhood-cancer-phd-coventry-city-b2542743.html)
## References
1. [Ashley Cain, player profile, Transfermarkt](https://www.transfermarkt.com/ashley-cain/profil/spieler/92457)
2. [Ashley Cain: My 3,000-mile Ultraman is to create a legacy for my daughter, The Independent (10 May 2024)](https://www.the-independent.com/news/uk/childhood-cancer-phd-coventry-city-b2542743.html)
3. [Ashley Cain, Football Player Statistics, 11v11.com](https://www.11v11.com/players/ashley-cain-229651/)
4. [Ashley Cain, Football Stats, Soccerbase](https://www.soccerbase.com/players/player.sd?player_id=50861)
5. [Winger Ashley Cain heads from Telford to Transylvania, BBC Sport (2012)](https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/18533157)
6. [Ashley Cain, Stats, FBref](https://fbref.com/en/players/3f817c16/Ashley-Cain)
7. [Ashley Cain, Player Profile, Sky Sports Football](https://www.skysports.com/football/player/17193/ashley-cain)
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*Topic: Encyclopedia › Sports, games, and recreation › Association football › Football people and teams › People › Men's footballers of the British Isles (modern era) › English footballers 2005–2014*
*Initially written Sep 17, 2026 · Reviewed: Sep 17, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Edited: Oct 12, 2026; Oct 15, 2026; Oct 21, 2026 · Last review: Oct 21, 2026*
*Copyright 2026 EdgeChat AI, a subsidiary of Biostate AI.*
License: Edgepedia Community License 1.0, https://www.edgepedia.org/edgepedia/license