Women's Soccer Player of the Year Contender Alessia Russo

Years Old: 26 Playing Role: Forward Clubs: The Gunners and England

The talented forward created a legacy with her club 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 helped guide the Lionesses to the successful retention of their European Championship title.

She scored in the European Championship showpiece match and hit top form for her team, making significant contributions throughout the season as an attacker and with her defensive efforts.

The forward was honored as the Football Writers' Association's top female player for last season.

She was the Women's Super League's co-leading goalscorer, earning a share of the Golden Boot with Khadija Shaw.

She scored twelve WSL goals for Arsenal and set up for a couple more.

Her name was put forward for the 2025 Ballon d'Or and selected 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 enjoying myself and I'm confident my efforts in practice and I'm getting my work done, so those are aspects 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 arrive, the greater your experience, the more you get used to them."

Reflecting on England's European triumph:

"The entire competition was a complete rollercoaster. There were ups and downs. It was emotionally really hard. It was taxing on our bodies.

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

"In my view the way that we won throughout that whole tournament 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 sometimes you have to grind out results."

Discussing the European final:

"The overriding feeling that I can remember from that whole day was just being so calm, like we were confident we'd done the work, we knew that we had what it takes, and we knew that we trusted the game plan and what we wanted to do.

"Naturally playing against a team like Barcelona, you've got to be comfortable not possessing the ball because their skill is exceptional. When they do have the ball, they retain it that often.

"As players in the high press and defensively, we were really focused on our assigned tasks. There was extensive movement and plenty of defending. But ultimately that's what got the job done. I think that you have to be OK winning games like that as well."

Regarding her inspiration, Kelly Smith:

"I was fortunate of watching her a few times with my dad. Seeing her for England, too, her talent was remarkable. I hope that she could have played longer and she was active today, but she was one of the best ever.

"I think those who teamed up with her would say the same thing and I never got the pleasure of experiencing that. But watching her was something that I always used to love."

Alessia Russo notched 12 goals in twenty-one games in the WSL last season to share the Golden Boot.

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

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

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

Russo's ability to retreat into midfield, creating space from her opposing defender through sharp, darting movements was notable.

If a marker got too close, Russo used her physicality to win free-kicks, assisting the side gain settled possession in the enemy territory. In the Champions' League last season, nobody was fouled more than the Arsenal striker (fifteen).

When the play settles, her control are highly effective. Her frequent scanning of her environment means she remains aware of where opponents are.

She uses minimal touches on the ball, moving it clear from defenders marking closely, before finding nearby team-mates oriented forward.

By retaining the ball in difficult scenarios, Russo is often capable to act as an release option for her side in trouble.

She is able turn difficult passes into extended spells of stable possession and these possessions in the opponent's final third result in scores, many of which she ends up scoring herself.