LeiLanni Nesbeth has spoken of her love of fashion, football and all things Bermuda in the most wide-ranging interview of her career.

The Bermudian midfielder is the subject of a feature by Tiffani Arnold on her website, la fille de fleur, with the writer focusing on the crossover of culture and sports, particularly in the Chicagoland area.

In the article, Nesbeth speaks about the importance of being authentic on and off the field and the difficult decision she made at the age of 13 to leave the island and pursue her talents first in Britain.

“It's definitely different,” Nesbeth says of Bermuda.

“Everybody knows everybody. It's definitely underdeveloped and lacks a whole lot of resources and financial stability, unlike these big countries. So from a young age me and my family made an executive decision to get me off the island, take my talents elsewhere, grow my game and see how far I could really take this.

“Bermuda is beautiful. It’s just super small but some of the best support systems that I still have to this day. I’m super appreciative for everything that I was able to learn growing up in Bermuda and I'm able to go back home, and it's definitely a nice little getaway to be back with my family.

“But in regards to that transition, nothing compares. It's a whole different ballgame out here. It's a whole different ballgame in England and there is no real comparison to what Bermuda has to offer compared to out here.”

After being picked by Chicago Red Stars in the National Women’s Soccer League draft this year, Nesbeth has been getting used to life in a new city and feels like she is only finding her people and her places.

“Bermuda is a little island,” Nesbeth said.

“It's not a part of the Caribbean, but it's basically a Caribbean country because it has that vibe to it. It has beaches, palm trees and carnival, which is what’s going on right now.

A lot of soca music, reggae and has that Jamaican feel from time to time, but still gives off that Barbados, Bahamas island vibe when necessary. The culture is a lot of music. It's a lot of smiling faces, it's good people, good vibes. Obviously, the weather is always beautiful, so it just contributes to that.

“But you still can kind of find all that stuff here. What's cool about Chicago is, for example, me and a couple of team-mates went over to this Caribbean lounge and we're still able to tap into our kind of heritage, per se, which is nice. You can dip and dab as you please. It’s cool to see how diverse this place is and that’s been one of the coolest parts.

“I feel like a pretty diverse person myself. I've been all over the world so I can appreciate different cultures. I’m totally enjoying myself when it comes to that aspect.”

Chicagoans have definitely taken to the Red Stars and they recently played at Wrigley Field, where 35,000 people broke the record for spectators at an NWSL match, something Nesbeth was thrilled to see.

“It was incredible to break the NWSL record and have over 35,000 people in the stands,” she said

“Obviously, the game didn't go the way that you wanted it to, but still, the experience was incredible. I had my grandparents in town for the game, so it was super, super special. The night was just really nice and it was nice to be with the team. It was crazy.”

Nesbeth has also caught the eye with her fashion sense and the increasing attention on professional sports stars and what they wear when they turn up to games is something she is keen to embrace.

“Everyone has their own little something,” Nesbeth said.

“Some people couldn't care less for that stuff and some people want to do the whole nine.

In regards to me, I think what's cool about Chicago is I can allow myself to be myself, in regards to what I wear, in regards to how I speak, how I dress, my demeanour, the music that I listen to and the way that I drive around the city.

“I want to just dive into what I'm all about and that translates to what I wear. I'm in this mindset right now where I'd rather be overdressed than underdressed, no matter where I'm at and just like putting something together.

“I like looking good as generic as it sounds and that translates to how I show up. There's a certain vibe you're showing up with on a game day and I do care about those small details leading up to it. If you look good, you play good.”

And Nesbeth is playing good, forcing her way into the first team after a spell with injury and she is excited to be playing at a time when women’s sport is experiencing a boom, particularly in the US.

“It's important for there to be continued investment in women’s sport,” Nesbeth said.

“You have to have a realistic approach and I know there's differences between the men's and women's game in regards to how much revenue these teams are bringing in and how many eyes are watching, but the fact that it's getting better every year, that's something to be proud of.

“The biggest thing is making sure the fans follow you and when you're taking care of business on the field and just a genuine person with a genuine team full of a lot of caring people, I think that shows more than any amount of goals and things that you can provide.”