Female Footballer of the Year Contender Russo

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

The talented forward created a legacy with her club as they emerged as the first English team to win the prestigious European competition since the Gunners did in 2008, and also helped guide the Lionesses to the successful retention of their continental title.

She scored in the Euro 2025 final and hit top form for her club, playing a crucial role all campaign long as an attacker and with her defensive efforts.

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

Russo finished as the WSL's joint top scorer, earning a share of the Golden Boot with Khadija Shaw.

She scored 12 WSL goals for the club and set up for a couple more.

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

Her thoughts on personal development over the previous season:

"My top performances come when I'm enjoying myself and I'm confident I'm training hard and completing my tasks, so those are aspects that I can always control.

"There's so many different aspects to a striker's role, it requires precision and there are tiny differences. I'm always still learning. Our staff is excellent here at the club. There are top teammates to learn off as well. Then when the important matches arrive, the more you do them, the more comfortable you become."

Reflecting on England's European triumph:

"The whole tournament was a total emotional ride. There were ups and downs. It tested us mentally. It was taxing on our bodies.

"I remember after the Sweden [quarter-final] game, a lot of us were really, really battered and bruised. It was so intense. But you've got to turn it around quickly. The schedule is relentless.

"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 what it takes.

"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 very composed, like we were confident we'd done the work, we knew that we had what it takes, 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 having the ball because they're so talented. When they do have the ball, they retain it that often.

"We as athletes in the press and out of possession, we were highly concentrated 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."

On Arsenal and England legend Kelly Smith being her idol:

"I got the pleasure of seeing her play a couple of occasions with my dad. Seeing her for England, too, her talent was remarkable. I hope that her career lasted more and still be playing now, 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 doing that. But observing her play was someone that I greatly admired."

The striker notched 12 goals in 21 games in the Women's Super League the previous campaign to divide the Golden Boot.

Not only was she one of the most clinical players in the competition but Russo was also a constant threat in the penalty area all season long, attempting more efforts (seventy-three) and recording a superior xG (nine point seven) than any other player.

Russo's ability to aid the side beyond scoring distinguishes her.

Fellow player a teammate regularly played forward balls into her, so effective ball retention was necessary.

Russo's ability to drop deep, creating space from her opposing defender through quick, incisive runs was notable.

If a defender got in tight, she used her physicality to draw fouls, helping her team gain settled possession in the enemy territory. In the European tournament last season, no player was drawn more fouls than the forward (fifteen).

When the play settles, her control are highly effective. Her regular awareness of her environment means she stays conscious of where rivals are.

She uses few contacts on the ball, moving it clear from defenders marking closely, before finding nearby team-mates positioned facing towards the goal.

By keeping possession in tough situations, Russo is regularly able to act as an outlet for her side in trouble.

She is able turn difficult passes into long periods of stable possession and such phases in the attacking zone result in scores, several of these she ends up scoring herself.