Women's Footballer of the Year Contender Alessia Russo

Years Old: 26 Playing Role: Striker Teams: The Gunners and the English national team

The talented forward created a legacy with her club as they emerged as the first British team to claim victory in the Women's Champions League since the Gunners did in 2008, and also played a key role in leading the Lionesses to the defence of their European Championship title.

She scored in the European Championship showpiece match and found her groove for her team, making significant contributions all campaign long as an attacker and with her defensive efforts.

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 co-leading goalscorer, earning a share of the top scorer award with her rival striker.

Russo netted twelve WSL goals for Arsenal and provided assists for a couple more.

She was also nominated for the prestigious individual award and selected in the Professional Footballers' Association and the Uefa Champions League season's best XIs.

Russo on how she feels she has improved over the previous season:

"I play my best football when I'm having fun and I know my efforts in practice and I'm getting my work done, so those are aspects that I can always control.

"There's so many different aspects to a number nine position, it's so detailed and there are tiny differences. I continue to develop. Our staff is excellent here at Arsenal. I have great players to gain knowledge from as well. Then when the big games come around, the greater your experience, the more you get used to them."

On winning Euro 2025 with England:

"The whole tournament was a total emotional ride. There were ups and downs. It was emotionally really hard. It was taxing on our bodies.

"I remember after the last-eight game, a lot of us were extremely sore and injured. The pressure was immense. But recovery had to be swift. The schedule is relentless.

"In my view the way that we won throughout that whole tournament was just grit and resilience. And I think that we knew that we had the team, 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 grind out results."

Discussing the European final:

"The overriding feeling that I can remember from that entire occasion was just being so calm, like we were confident we'd done the work, we knew that we had what it takes, and we knew that we trusted the game plan and what we aimed to achieve.

"Naturally playing against a side such as Barça, you must accept not having the ball because their skill is exceptional. When in possession, they retain it that often.

"We as athletes in the press and defensively, we were highly concentrated on our job at hand. It was a lot of running and plenty of defending. But ultimately that led to success. I think that you have to be content winning games like that as well."

On Arsenal and England legend Kelly Smith being her idol:

"I was fortunate of watching her a couple of occasions with my dad. Seeing her for England, too, her talent was remarkable. I wish that she could have played longer and she was active today, but she was one of the best ever.

"I think anyone that has played with Kelly would agree and I didn't have the chance of doing that. But observing her play was something that I greatly admired."

The striker scored twelve goals in 21 games in the WSL the previous campaign to share the Golden Boot.

She was not just one of the most clinical players in the league but Russo was also a persistent danger in the penalty area throughout the campaign, taking more shots (seventy-three) and having a higher expected goals tally (nine point seven) than all her peers.

Russo's ability to aid the side outside of her goals distinguishes her.

Fellow player Mariona Caldentey regularly played forward balls into her, so effective ball retention was essential.

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

If a marker got in tight, she used her physicality to win free-kicks, assisting the side secure the ball in the enemy territory. In the European tournament the prior year, nobody was drawn more fouls than the forward (fifteen).

When the play settles, her control are highly effective. Her frequent scanning of her environment means she remains aware of where rivals are.

Russo takes minimal touches on the ball, moving it clear from opposing players marking closely, before finding nearby team-mates oriented forward.

By retaining the ball in difficult scenarios, Russo is often capable to act as an release option for her team under pressure.

She is able convert tough balls into extended spells of controlled play and such phases in the attacking zone result in scores, several of these she ends up scoring herself.