Women's Soccer Player of the Year Contender Russo

Years Old: 26 Playing Role: Striker Teams: The Gunners and England

The talented forward created a legacy with her club as they became the first British team to claim victory in the prestigious European competition since the Gunners did in 2008, and also helped guide England to the successful retention of their European Championship crown.

She scored in the Euro 2025 final and hit top form for her club, making significant contributions all campaign long as an attacker and with her work off the ball.

The forward was honored as the FWA's top female player for last season.

Russo finished as the WSL's co-leading goalscorer, sharing the Golden Boot with her rival striker.

She scored 12 WSL goals for the club and provided assists for a couple more.

Her name was put forward for the 2025 Ballon d'Or and selected in the Professional Footballers' Association and the Uefa Champions League teams of the year.

Her thoughts on personal development over the past year:

"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 are within my power.

"Numerous elements to a number nine position, it's so detailed and there are tiny differences. I continue to develop. Our staff is excellent here at Arsenal. I have great players to learn off as well. Then when the important matches come around, the greater your experience, the more comfortable you become."

Reflecting on England's European triumph:

"The whole tournament was a total emotional ride. It was highs and lows. It was emotionally really hard. It was taxing on our bodies.

"I recall after the last-eight game, a lot of us were extremely sore and injured. It was so intense. 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 squad, we knew that we had the necessary qualities.

"Facing the best teams in the world, the elite athletes in the world and occasionally you have to win a little bit dirty."

Discussing the European final:

"The overriding feeling that stands out from that entire occasion 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.

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

"We as athletes in the high press and out of possession, we were really focused on our assigned tasks. 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 winning games like that as well."

On Arsenal and England legend Kelly Smith being her idol:

"I got the pleasure of watching her a couple of occasions with my dad. Seeing her for England, 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 anyone that has played with Kelly would agree and I didn't have the chance of experiencing that. But observing her play was someone that I greatly admired."

The striker scored twelve goals in 21 games in the Women's Super League last season to divide the scoring award.

She was not just one of the deadliest players in the league but she was also a constant threat in the penalty area 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 beyond scoring sets her apart.

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

Her skill to drop deep, creating space from her nearby marker through quick, incisive runs was notable.

If a defender got in tight, Russo used her body well to draw fouls, assisting the side secure the ball in the enemy territory. In the European tournament the prior year, nobody was fouled more than the Arsenal striker (fifteen).

When the play settles, her control are extremely efficient. Her regular awareness of her surroundings means she stays conscious of where rivals are.

Russo takes few contacts on the ball, directing it away from defenders marking closely, before locating close colleagues oriented forward.

By keeping possession in tough situations, Russo is regularly able to act as an outlet for her team under pressure.

She can convert tough balls into extended spells of stable possession and these possessions in the attacking zone result in scores, many of which she ends up scoring herself.