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3rd December 2023
01:38pm GMT
The former professional footballer and his ex-partner Safiyya Vorajee lost their daughter Azaylia to a rare cancer when she was just eight months old.
Soon after Azaylia's death in April 2021, the couple split up. Now, the 33-year-old has announced that he is set to become a dad again in the new year.
In a new interview with The UK Sun, Ashley revealed the big news and opened up about the moment he told his ex-partner.
The former footballer went to his daughter's grave to give her the news after feeling that he needed to tell her to feel positive about his new baby.
He candidly revealed: "After going to her resting place and speaking to her about it, I just had a feeling in my heart and in my soul that she was happy for me.
"She was happy that she had a little brother and it is now just someone else for her to watch over and protect in this world."
Though he kept the identity of his baby's mother a secret he did say that though they aren't together he has known her since he was 18.
Speaking about finding out he’s going to have a baby boy, Ashley said: "In the back of my head I didn’t really know how to deal or cope with it if it was a little girl. It could have been fine but it could have been heartbreaking all over again and I wasn’t sure."
He revealed that he sat down with his ex Safiyya to tell her the news out of "respect" for her and their remaining close friendship.
Ashley said, "It was painful for Safiyya but it was also painful for me as well to talk to Saffiya.
"Safiyya and I haven’t been together for a while now and it is inevitable that at some stage people are going to move on with their lives - that doesn’t mean that we can’t be friends and have an amazing relationship.
"I know Safiyya will always support me and I will always be there to support Safiyya. It wasn’t an easy conversation or filled with smiles but it was a conversation that had a lot of truth and respect."
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