Female Footballer of the Year Candidate Alessia Russo

Years Old: 26 Position: Striker Clubs: The Gunners and England

Alessia Russo created a legacy with her club as they became the pioneering English team to win the Women's Champions League since the Gunners did in 2008, and also helped guide the Lionesses to the successful retention of their European Championship title.

Russo found the net in the Euro 2025 final and hit top form for her team, playing a crucial role all campaign long in front of goal and with her defensive efforts.

Russo was named the Football Writers' Association's women's footballer of the year for last season.

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

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

She was also nominated for the 2025 Ballon d'Or and named in the PFA 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'm confident I'm training hard and completing my tasks, so that's something that I can always control.

"Numerous elements to a number nine position, it requires precision and there are so many fine margins. 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."

Reflecting on England's European triumph:

"The whole tournament was a complete rollercoaster. It was highs and lows. It tested us mentally. It was taxing on our bodies.

"I remember after the last-eight game, many players were extremely sore and injured. The pressure was immense. But recovery had to be swift. It moves so fast.

"I think the way that we won during the event was just grit and resilience. And we were aware that we had the squad, we knew that we had the necessary qualities.

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

Discussing the European final:

"The main emotion that I can remember from that entire occasion was just being so calm, like we knew our preparation was complete, we knew that we had the ability, and we knew that we believed in the strategy and what we aimed to achieve.

"Obviously playing against a team like Barcelona, you must accept not possessing the ball because their skill is exceptional. When they do have the ball, they retain it frequently.

"We as athletes in the press and defensively, we were highly concentrated on our job at hand. 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 watching her a few times with my dad. Watching her internationally, too, she was just incredible. I hope 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 experiencing that. But watching her was someone that I greatly admired."

Alessia Russo scored 12 goals in twenty-one games in the WSL the previous campaign to share the Golden Boot.

Not only was she one of the deadliest players in the league but Russo was also a persistent danger in the box throughout the campaign, taking more shots (seventy-three) and recording a superior xG (9.7) than any other player.

Russo's ability to contribute to the team outside of her goals sets her apart.

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

Russo's ability to drop deep, creating space from her opposing defender through quick, incisive runs was notable.

If a defender got in tight, she used her physicality to draw fouls, helping her team secure the ball in the enemy territory. In the Champions' League the prior year, no player was drawn more fouls than the Arsenal striker (fifteen).

When the ball does stick, Russo's touches are highly effective. Her regular awareness of her surroundings means she stays conscious of where rivals are.

Russo takes few contacts on the ball, moving it clear from defenders marking closely, before finding nearby team-mates oriented forward.

By keeping possession in difficult scenarios, she is regularly able to act as an outlet for her side in trouble.

She is able convert tough balls into long periods of stable possession and such phases in the attacking zone lead to goals, several of these she ends up scoring herself.