Women's Footballer of the Year Candidate Alessia Russo

Years Old: 26 Position: Striker Clubs: Arsenal and the English national team

Alessia Russo made history with Arsenal as they became the pioneering British team to win the Women's Champions League since the North London side did in the 2000s, and also played a key role in leading the Lionesses to the successful retention of their continental crown.

Russo found the net in the European Championship final and found her groove for her club, making significant contributions all campaign long as an attacker and with her work off the ball.

Russo was honored as the Football Writers' Association's women's footballer of the year for the previous campaign.

She was the Women's Super League's joint top scorer, earning a share of the top scorer award with Khadija Shaw.

She scored twelve league goals for Arsenal and set up for a further two.

She was also nominated for the prestigious individual award and selected in the Professional Footballers' Association and the European teams of the year.

Russo on how she feels she has improved over the past year:

"My top performances come when I'm enjoying myself and I know I'm training hard and completing my tasks, so that's something that are within my power.

"There's so many different aspects to a number nine position, it requires precision and there are tiny differences. I'm always still learning. Our staff is excellent here at the club. There are top teammates to learn off as well. Then when the big games arrive, the more you do them, the more comfortable you become."

On winning Euro 2025 with England:

"The whole tournament was a complete rollercoaster. It was highs and lows. It was emotionally really hard. It was taxing on our bodies.

"I remember after the last-eight game, many players were really, really battered and bruised. It was so intense. But you've got to turn it around quickly. It moves so fast.

"I think the way that we won throughout that whole tournament was just grit and resilience. And I think that we knew that we had the squad, we knew that we had what it takes.

"You're playing against the top sides in the world, the best players in the world and occasionally you have to win a little bit dirty."

On the Champions League final:

"The main emotion that I can remember from that whole day was just being very composed, like we were confident our preparation was complete, we knew that we had the ability, and we knew that we trusted the strategy and what we aimed to achieve.

"Naturally playing against a team like Barcelona, you must accept not possessing the ball because they're so talented. When they do have the ball, they don't give it away frequently.

"As players in the press and defensively, we were highly concentrated on our assigned tasks. There was extensive movement and plenty of defending. But ultimately that's what got the job done. In my opinion you have to be OK winning games like that as well."

Regarding her inspiration, Kelly Smith:

"I was fortunate of seeing her play a couple of occasions with my father. Seeing her for England, too, she was just incredible. I wish that she could have played longer and still be playing now, but she was one of the best ever.

"I believe anyone that has played with Kelly would say the same thing and I didn't have the chance of experiencing that. But watching her was something that I always used to love."

The striker notched 12 goals in twenty-one games in the Women's Super League the previous campaign to divide the Golden Boot.

Not only was she one of the most clinical players in the league but Russo was also a persistent danger in the penalty area all season long, taking more shots (73) and recording a superior xG (nine point seven) than any other player.

Her capability to contribute to the team beyond scoring distinguishes her.

Fellow player a teammate often delivered forward balls into Russo, so effective ball retention was necessary.

Her skill to drop deep, freeing herself from her nearby marker through quick, incisive runs stood out.

If a defender got too close, Russo used her body well to draw fouls, assisting the side gain settled possession in the enemy territory. In the European tournament last season, nobody was drawn more fouls than the forward (fifteen).

When the ball does stick, her control are extremely efficient. Her regular awareness of her environment means she stays conscious of where rivals are.

Russo takes few contacts on the ball, directing it away from opposing players applying player-to-player pressure, before locating nearby team-mates positioned facing towards the goal.

By retaining the ball in difficult scenarios, Russo is regularly able to act as an release option for her side in trouble.

She can convert tough balls into extended spells of stable possession and these possessions in the attacking zone lead to goals, many of which she finishes personally.