Women's Footballer of the Year Candidate Russo

Age: 26 Playing Role: Striker Clubs: The Gunners and the English national team

The talented forward created a legacy with her club as they became the pioneering British team to win the Women's Champions League since the Gunners did in the 2000s, and also helped guide the Lionesses to the defence of their European Championship title.

She scored in the Euro 2025 final and hit top form for her club, making significant contributions all campaign long as an attacker and with her work off the ball.

The forward was honored as the FWA's top female player for last season.

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

She scored 12 WSL goals for the club and provided assists for a couple more.

Her name was put forward for the 2025 Ballon d'Or and selected in the PFA 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 I'm training hard and I'm getting my work done, so that's something that are within my power.

"There's so many different aspects to a striker's role, it requires precision and there are so many fine margins. I continue to develop. Our staff is excellent here at Arsenal. There are top teammates to gain knowledge from as well. Then when the important matches come around, the greater your experience, the more you get used to them."

On winning Euro 2025 with England:

"The whole tournament was a complete rollercoaster. There were ups and downs. It was emotionally really hard. We were physically drained.

"I recall after the last-eight game, many players were really, really battered and bruised. The pressure was immense. But recovery had to be swift. It moves so fast.

"In my view the way that we won during the event was just grit and resilience. And we were aware that we had the team, we knew that we had the necessary qualities.

"Facing the best teams in the world, the elite athletes in the world and occasionally you have to win a little bit dirty."

Discussing the European final:

"The overriding feeling that stands out from that whole day was just being very composed, like we were confident we'd done the work, we knew that we had what it takes, and we knew that we believed in the strategy and what we wanted to do.

"Obviously playing against a side such as Barça, you've got to be comfortable not possessing the ball because their skill is exceptional. When they do have the ball, they don't give it away frequently.

"We as athletes in the press and out of possession, we were highly concentrated on our job at hand. It was a lot of running and a lot of defensive work. But in the end that led to success. In my opinion you have to be OK winning games like that as well."

On Arsenal and England legend Kelly Smith being her idol:

"I was fortunate 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 still be playing now, but she ranks among the greats.

"I believe those who teamed up with her would say the same thing and I never got the pleasure of experiencing that. But observing her play was someone that I greatly admired."

Alessia Russo notched twelve goals in 21 games in the WSL the previous campaign to divide the scoring award.

Not only was she one of the deadliest players in the competition but she was also a constant threat in the penalty area all season long, taking more shots (seventy-three) and having a higher expected goals tally (9.7) than all her peers.

Her capability to aid the side outside of her goals distinguishes her.

Team-mate a teammate often delivered forward balls into Russo, so effective ball retention was necessary.

Russo's ability to drop deep, freeing herself from her opposing defender through sharp, darting movements was notable.

If a defender got in tight, she used her physicality to draw fouls, assisting the side secure the ball in the opponents' half. In the Champions' League the prior year, no player was drawn more fouls than the Arsenal striker (15).

When the ball does stick, her control are highly effective. Her frequent scanning of her surroundings means she remains aware of where rivals are.

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

By keeping possession in difficult scenarios, she is often capable to act as an release option for her team under pressure.

She is able convert tough balls into extended spells of stable possession and such phases in the opponent's final third result in scores, many of which she ends up scoring herself.