Female Soccer Player of the Year Candidate Alessia Russo

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

Alessia Russo created a legacy with Arsenal as they became the first English team to win the Women's Champions League since the North London side did in the 2000s, and also played a key role in leading the Lionesses to the defence of their continental crown.

Russo found the net in the Euro 2025 final and hit top form for her team, making significant contributions all campaign long as an attacker and with her work off the ball.

Russo was honored as the Football Writers' Association's women's footballer of the year for the previous campaign.

She was the WSL's joint top scorer, earning a share of the Golden Boot with her rival striker.

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

Her name was put forward for the prestigious individual award and named in the PFA and the European season's best XIs.

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 completing my tasks, so that's something 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. We have great coaches here at Arsenal. I have great players to learn off as well. Then when the important matches come around, the more you do them, 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 was emotionally really hard. It was taxing on our bodies.

"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.

"I think 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.

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

Discussing the European final:

"The overriding feeling that I can remember from that whole day was just being very composed, like we knew we'd done the work, we knew that we had the ability, and we knew that we trusted the strategy and what we wanted to do.

"Obviously playing against a team like Barcelona, you've got to be comfortable not possessing the ball because their skill is exceptional. When in possession, they don't give it away that often.

"We as athletes in the high press and out of possession, we were highly concentrated on our job at hand. It was a lot of running and plenty of defending. But in the end that led to success. In my opinion you have to be content securing victories in that manner as well."

On Arsenal and England legend Kelly Smith being her idol:

"I got the pleasure of watching her a few times with my father. Seeing her for England, too, she was just incredible. I wish that her career lasted more and still be playing now, but she ranks among the greats.

"I think anyone that has played with Kelly would agree and I never got the pleasure of experiencing that. But observing her play was something that I greatly admired."

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

Not only was she one of the most clinical players in the competition but she was also a persistent danger in the box all season long, taking more shots (73) and recording a superior xG (nine point seven) than all her peers.

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

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

Her skill to drop deep, creating space from her opposing defender through sharp, darting movements stood out.

If a marker got in tight, she used her body well to draw fouls, assisting the side gain settled possession in the opponents' half. In the European tournament last season, nobody was fouled more than the forward (fifteen).

When the ball does stick, Russo's touches are extremely efficient. Her regular awareness of her environment means she stays conscious of where rivals are.

Russo takes few contacts on the ball, moving it clear from opposing players marking closely, before finding nearby team-mates positioned facing towards the goal.

By retaining the ball in tough situations, she is regularly able to act as an release option for her team under pressure.

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