Female Footballer of the Year Candidate 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 helped guide England to the defence of their continental crown.

Russo found the net in the Euro 2025 showpiece match and hit top form for her club, making significant contributions all campaign long as an attacker and with her defensive efforts.

Russo was honored as the Football Writers' Association's top female player for last season.

She was the Women's Super League's joint top scorer, earning a share of the top scorer award with her rival striker.

She scored twelve WSL goals for the club and set up for a further two.

Her name was put forward for the 2025 Ballon d'Or and selected in the Professional Footballers' Association and the Uefa Champions League season's best XIs.

Her thoughts on personal development over the past year:

"I play my best football when I'm having fun and I'm confident 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 so many fine margins. I'm always still learning. Our staff is excellent here at Arsenal. I have great players to gain knowledge from as well. Then when the important matches arrive, the greater your experience, the more you get used to them."

On winning Euro 2025 with England:

"The entire competition was a total emotional ride. There were ups and downs. It tested us mentally. It was taxing on our bodies.

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

"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 team, we knew that we had what it takes.

"You're playing against the top sides in the world, the elite athletes in the world and sometimes you have to grind out results."

On the Champions League final:

"The overriding feeling that stands out from that whole day was just being so calm, like we knew our preparation was complete, we knew that we had the ability, and we knew that we trusted the game plan and what we aimed to achieve.

"Obviously playing against a team like Barcelona, you must accept not having 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 really focused on our assigned tasks. It was a lot of running and a lot of defensive work. But ultimately that's what got the job done. I think that you have to be OK securing victories in that manner as well."

Regarding her inspiration, Kelly Smith:

"I got the pleasure of seeing her play a couple of occasions with my dad. Watching her internationally, too, her talent was remarkable. I hope that she could have played longer and she was active today, but she ranks among the greats.

"I believe anyone that has played with Kelly would agree and I didn't have the chance of doing that. But observing her play was someone that I always used to love."

Alessia Russo scored 12 goals in 21 games in the WSL last season to divide 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 box all season long, attempting more efforts (73) and having a higher expected goals tally (9.7) than all her peers.

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

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

Her skill to retreat into midfield, freeing herself from her nearby marker through quick, incisive runs stood out.

If a marker got too close, Russo used her physicality to win free-kicks, helping her team secure the ball in the enemy territory. In the European tournament last season, no player was drawn more fouls than the Arsenal striker (fifteen).

When the play settles, Russo's touches are highly effective. Her frequent scanning of her environment means she stays conscious of where rivals are.

She uses minimal touches on the ball, moving it clear from opposing players marking closely, before finding close colleagues positioned facing towards the goal.

By keeping possession 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 controlled play and these possessions in the attacking zone lead to goals, several of these she ends up scoring herself.