Female Soccer Player of the Year Contender Alessia Russo

Years Old: 26 Playing Role: Forward Teams: Arsenal and the English national team

Alessia Russo created a legacy with her club as they became the pioneering English team to claim victory in the prestigious European competition since the North London side did in the 2000s, and also helped guide the Lionesses to the defence of their continental crown.

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

The forward was named the FWA's top female player for the previous campaign.

She was the WSL's co-leading goalscorer, sharing the top scorer award with Khadija Shaw.

She scored twelve WSL goals for Arsenal and provided assists for a couple more.

Her name was put forward for the prestigious individual award and selected in the Professional Footballers' Association and the Uefa Champions League teams of the year.

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

"My top performances come when I'm having fun and I know my efforts in practice and I'm getting my work done, so those are aspects that I can always control.

"Numerous elements to a striker's role, it requires precision and there are tiny differences. I'm always still learning. We have great coaches here at Arsenal. I have great players to gain knowledge from as well. Then when the big games come around, the more you do them, the more comfortable you become."

Reflecting on England's European triumph:

"The whole tournament was a complete rollercoaster. There were ups and downs. It was emotionally really hard. We were physically drained.

"I remember after the Sweden [quarter-final] game, many players were really, really battered and bruised. It was so intense. 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 I think that we knew that we had the team, 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."

On the Champions League final:

"The main emotion that stands out from that entire occasion was just being so calm, like we knew 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 aimed to achieve.

"Obviously playing against a team like Barcelona, you've got to be comfortable not having the ball because their skill is exceptional. When in possession, 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 content securing victories in that manner as well."

Regarding her inspiration, Kelly Smith:

"I was fortunate of watching her a few times with my father. Seeing her for England, too, she was just incredible. I hope that her career lasted more and she was active today, but she ranks among the greats.

"I believe anyone that has played with Kelly would say the same thing and I didn't have the chance of doing that. But watching her was something that I always used to love."

Alessia Russo scored 12 goals in 21 games in the Women's Super League the previous campaign to share the Golden Boot.

Not only was she one of the most clinical players in the league but she was also a persistent danger in the penalty area throughout the campaign, attempting more efforts (73) and having a higher expected goals tally (9.7) than all her peers.

Her capability to aid the side outside of her goals sets her apart.

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

Russo's ability to retreat into midfield, creating space from her opposing defender through quick, incisive runs was notable.

If a marker got in tight, she used her body well to win free-kicks, helping her team gain settled possession in the enemy territory. In the Champions' League last season, nobody was drawn more fouls than the Arsenal striker (15).

When the ball does stick, her control are highly effective. Her frequent scanning of her surroundings means she remains aware of where opponents are.

Russo takes few contacts on the ball, directing it away from opposing players marking closely, before finding nearby team-mates positioned facing towards the goal.

By retaining the ball in difficult scenarios, Russo is regularly able to act as an outlet for her side in trouble.

She can turn difficult passes into long periods of stable possession and these possessions in the opponent's final third result in scores, several of these she finishes personally.