Female Soccer Player of the Year Candidate Alessia Russo

Age: 26 Position: Striker Clubs: The Gunners 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 Gunners did in 2008, and also played a key role in leading England to the successful retention of their European Championship title.

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

Russo was named the Football Writers' Association's women's footballer of the year for last season.

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

Russo netted twelve league goals for the club and provided assists for a couple more.

She was also nominated for the prestigious individual award and selected in the Professional Footballers' Association and the Uefa Champions League teams of the year.

Her thoughts on personal development over the previous season:

"I play my best football when I'm enjoying myself and I'm confident my efforts in practice and completing my tasks, 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 continue to develop. We have great coaches here at Arsenal. There are top teammates to learn off 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. It was highs and lows. It tested us mentally. We were physically drained.

"I remember after the Sweden [quarter-final] game, many players were really, really battered and bruised. The pressure was immense. But recovery had to be swift. It moves so fast.

"In my view the way that we won during the event was just grit and resilience. And I think that we knew that we had the team, we knew that we had what it takes.

"Facing the best teams in the world, the best players in the world and sometimes you have to grind out results."

Discussing the European final:

"The main emotion that stands out 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 believed in the strategy and what we wanted to do.

"Naturally playing against a side such as Barça, you've got to be comfortable not having the ball because their skill is exceptional. When they do have the ball, they don't give it away that often.

"As players in the press and out of possession, we were really focused on our assigned tasks. It was a lot of running and plenty of defending. But ultimately that led to success. In my opinion you have to be OK winning games like that as well."

On Arsenal and England legend Kelly Smith being her idol:

"I was fortunate of watching her a couple of occasions with my father. Seeing her for England, too, her talent was remarkable. I wish that her career lasted more and she was active today, but she was one of the best ever.

"I think those who teamed up with her would agree and I never got the pleasure of doing that. But watching her was something that I greatly admired."

The striker scored twelve goals in twenty-one games in the WSL the previous campaign to divide the scoring award.

Not only was she one of the most clinical players in the league but Russo was also a constant threat in the penalty area throughout the campaign, taking more shots (seventy-three) and recording a superior xG (nine point seven) than any other player.

Her capability to aid the side beyond scoring distinguishes her.

Team-mate Mariona Caldentey regularly played forward balls into Russo, so effective ball retention was essential.

Her skill to retreat into midfield, freeing herself from her nearby marker through quick, incisive runs was notable.

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

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

She uses minimal touches on the ball, directing it away from opposing players marking closely, before finding close colleagues oriented forward.

By retaining the ball 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 controlled play and these possessions in the opponent's final third result in scores, many of which she ends up scoring herself.