The Striker

Content Warning: This section of the guide discusses violence and sexual content. 

Asher Donovan is one of the two protagonists and first-person narrators of the novel. The chapters titled with his first name are written from his perspective. Asher is a star football player in England’s Premier League. He signed with Holchester United when he was 17 but transferred to Blackcastle for the most recent season. Because football has been his life for as long as he can remember, Asher is determined “to take home the championship” and prove himself to his new coach, captain, and teammates (2). However, his ongoing rivalry with Vincent DuBois and lingering fears that he’s disappointing his football fanatic father Ron Donovan keep him from playing his best. He therefore feels trapped between who he could’ve been and who he wants to become.

Asher is a charming, charismatic character known for his good looks and skill on the football pitch. He has “[t]hick dark hair” that “flop[s] over his forehead, framing sculpted cheekbones and a sensual mouth” (30). When he first starts training at RAB with Scarlett DuBois, the first things she notices about him are his green eyes and “the utter ease with which he move[s] in the spotlight” (30).