Women's Footballer of the Year Contender Alessia Russo

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

The talented forward created a legacy with Arsenal as they became the first British team to win 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 European Championship crown.

Russo found the net in the European Championship showpiece match and found her groove for her club, playing a crucial role all campaign long as an attacker and with her work off the ball.

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

She was the WSL's joint top scorer, sharing the Golden Boot with her rival striker.

Russo netted twelve league goals for the club and provided assists for a further two.

She was also nominated for the 2025 Ballon d'Or and named in the Professional Footballers' Association and the European season's best XIs.

Russo on how she feels she has improved over the past year:

"My top performances come when I'm having fun and I'm confident my efforts in practice and I'm getting my work done, so that's something that I can always control.

"Numerous elements to a striker's role, it requires precision and there are so many fine margins. I'm always still learning. We have great coaches here at Arsenal. There are top teammates to learn off 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 total emotional ride. There were ups and downs. It tested us mentally. We were physically drained.

"I remember after the Sweden [quarter-final] game, many players were extremely sore and injured. It was so intense. But you've got to turn it around quickly. It moves so fast.

"In my view the way that we won during the event was just grit and resilience. And I think that we knew 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 grind out results."

Discussing the European final:

"The overriding feeling that stands out from that whole day was just being very composed, like we knew we'd done the work, we knew that we had what it takes, and we knew that we believed in the game plan and what we aimed to achieve.

"Naturally playing against a team like Barcelona, you've got to be comfortable not having the ball because they're so talented. When they do have the ball, they don't give it away 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 plenty of defending. But ultimately that's what got the job done. In my opinion you have to be OK winning games like that as well."

Regarding her inspiration, Kelly Smith:

"I got the pleasure of seeing her play a few times with my dad. Watching her internationally, too, she was just incredible. I wish that her career lasted more and still be playing now, but she was one of the best ever.

"I believe those who teamed up with her would say the same thing and I didn't have the chance of doing that. But watching her was someone that I greatly admired."

The striker notched twelve goals in twenty-one games in the Women's Super League the previous campaign to divide the scoring award.

Not only was she one of the most clinical players in the league but Russo was also a constant threat in the box throughout the campaign, attempting more efforts (73) and having a higher expected goals tally (nine point seven) than all her peers.

Her capability to contribute to the team outside of her goals sets her apart.

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

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

If a marker got too close, Russo used her body well to draw fouls, helping her team gain settled possession in the opponents' half. In the Champions' League last season, nobody was drawn more fouls than the Arsenal striker (fifteen).

When the play settles, Russo's touches are extremely efficient. Her frequent scanning of her surroundings means she stays conscious of where rivals are.

Russo takes minimal touches on the ball, directing it away from opposing players marking closely, before finding 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 such phases in the opponent's final third result in scores, several of these she ends up scoring herself.