Female Footballer of the Year Contender Russo

Age: 26 Position: Striker Teams: The Gunners and the English national team

Alessia Russo created a legacy with Arsenal 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 England to the defence of their continental title.

Russo found the net in the Euro 2025 showpiece match and found her groove for her club, playing a crucial role throughout the season 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.

Russo finished as the WSL's joint top scorer, sharing the top scorer award with her rival striker.

She scored twelve WSL goals for Arsenal and provided assists for a further two.

Her name was put forward for the prestigious individual award and named in the Professional Footballers' Association and the Uefa Champions League teams of the year.

Her thoughts on personal development over the previous season:

"My top performances come when I'm enjoying myself and I know I'm training hard and I'm getting my work done, so those are aspects that I can always control.

"There's so many different aspects to a striker's role, 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 learn off as well. Then when the important matches arrive, the greater your experience, the more comfortable you become."

Reflecting on England's European triumph:

"The whole tournament was a total emotional ride. It was highs and lows. It was emotionally really hard. It was taxing on our bodies.

"I recall after the Sweden [quarter-final] game, many players were really, really battered and bruised. It was so intense. But you've got to turn it around quickly. The schedule is relentless.

"In my view the way that we won during the event was just determination and toughness. And we were aware that we had the team, we knew that we had what it takes.

"You're playing against the best teams in the world, the elite athletes in the world and occasionally you have to win a little bit dirty."

On the Champions League final:

"The overriding feeling that I can remember from that entire occasion was just being so calm, like we knew we'd done the work, we knew that we had what it takes, and we knew that we trusted the strategy and what we wanted to do.

"Obviously playing against a side such as Barça, you've got to be comfortable not having the ball because their skill is exceptional. When in possession, they retain it that often.

"We as athletes in the high press and out of possession, we were highly concentrated on our assigned tasks. It was a lot of running and plenty of defending. But in the end that led to success. I think that you have to be OK securing victories in that manner as well."

On Arsenal and England legend Kelly Smith being her idol:

"I was fortunate of seeing her play a few times with my dad. Seeing her for England, too, her talent was remarkable. I hope that she could have played longer and still be playing now, but she ranks among the greats.

"I think anyone that has played with Kelly would say the same thing and I never got the pleasure of doing that. But watching her was someone that I greatly admired."

Alessia Russo scored 12 goals in 21 games in the Women's Super League last season to share the Golden Boot.

Not only was she one of the deadliest players in the league but she was also a constant threat in the box throughout the campaign, attempting more efforts (73) and having a higher expected goals tally (9.7) than any other player.

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

Team-mate Mariona Caldentey regularly played progressive passes into her, so strong hold-up play was essential.

Russo's ability to drop deep, freeing herself from her opposing defender through quick, incisive runs stood out.

If a defender got in tight, Russo used her physicality to draw fouls, assisting the side secure the ball in the opponents' half. In the European tournament last season, nobody was drawn more fouls than the Arsenal striker (15).

When the play settles, Russo's touches are extremely efficient. Her regular awareness of her surroundings means she stays conscious of where opponents are.

She uses few contacts on the ball, directing it away from defenders applying player-to-player pressure, before locating nearby team-mates positioned facing towards the goal.

By keeping possession in difficult scenarios, she is regularly able to act as an outlet for her team under pressure.

She is able turn difficult passes into extended spells of controlled play and these possessions in the opponent's final third result in scores, several of these she ends up scoring herself.