Women's Soccer Player of the Year Candidate Alessia Russo

Years Old: 26 Position: Forward Clubs: The Gunners and the English national team

The talented forward made history with Arsenal as they emerged as the pioneering English team to claim victory in the prestigious European competition since the Gunners did in 2008, and also played a key role in leading England to the successful retention of their continental crown.

Russo found the net in the European Championship final and found her groove for her team, playing a crucial role throughout the season as an attacker and with her defensive efforts.

Russo was named the FWA's women's footballer of the year for the previous campaign.

Russo finished as the Women's Super League's joint top scorer, sharing the Golden Boot with her rival striker.

She scored 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:

"I play my best football when I'm having fun and I know my efforts in practice and completing my tasks, so that's something that are within my power.

"There's so many different aspects to a number nine position, it's so detailed and there are so many fine margins. I continue to develop. We have great coaches here at the club. I have great players to learn off as well. Then when the big games arrive, the greater your experience, the more comfortable you become."

Reflecting on England's European triumph:

"The entire competition 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 you've got to turn it around quickly. 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 best teams in the world, the elite athletes in the world and sometimes you have to grind out results."

On the Champions League final:

"The main emotion that I can remember from that entire occasion was just being very composed, like we were confident we'd done the work, we knew that we had the ability, and we knew that we trusted the strategy and what we aimed to achieve.

"Obviously playing against a side such as Barça, you've got to be comfortable not having the ball because they're so talented. When they do have the ball, they retain it frequently.

"We as athletes in the press and out of possession, we were highly concentrated on our job at hand. There was extensive movement 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. Watching her internationally, too, her talent was remarkable. I wish that she could have played longer and still be playing now, 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 doing that. But watching her was someone that I always used to love."

The striker notched 12 goals in 21 games in the WSL last season to divide the scoring award.

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

Russo's ability to contribute to the team beyond scoring sets her apart.

Team-mate a teammate regularly played progressive passes into Russo, so effective ball retention was necessary.

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

If a defender got too close, Russo used her body well to draw fouls, helping her team secure the ball in the opponents' half. In the Champions' League last season, no player was fouled more than the forward (fifteen).

When the play settles, Russo's touches are extremely efficient. Her regular awareness of her environment means she stays conscious of where opponents are.

Russo takes minimal touches on the ball, directing it away from defenders applying player-to-player pressure, before locating 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 turn difficult passes into extended spells of stable possession and these possessions in the attacking zone lead to goals, several of these she finishes personally.