Women's Soccer Player of the Year Contender Alessia Russo

Age: 26 Position: Striker Clubs: The Gunners and the English national team

The talented forward created a legacy with Arsenal as they emerged as the pioneering English team to win the Women's Champions League since the North London side did in the 2000s, and also played a key role in leading England to the successful retention of their continental title.

Russo found the net in the European Championship showpiece match and found her groove for her club, making significant contributions throughout the season as an attacker and with her defensive efforts.

Russo was named the FWA's women's footballer of the year for the previous campaign.

Russo finished as the WSL's co-leading goalscorer, earning a share of the top scorer award with Khadija Shaw.

Russo netted 12 league goals for the club and provided assists for a couple more.

Her name was put forward for the prestigious individual award and named in the Professional Footballers' Association and the European teams of the year.

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

"My top performances come 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 striker's role, it's so detailed and there are tiny differences. I continue to develop. We have great coaches here at Arsenal. I have great players to learn off as well. Then when the important matches 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 was emotionally really hard. We were physically drained.

"I recall after the Sweden [quarter-final] game, a lot of us were extremely sore and injured. 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 determination and toughness. And I think that we knew that we had the squad, we knew that we had the necessary qualities.

"Facing the top sides in the world, the best players in the world and occasionally you have to grind out results."

Discussing the European final:

"The overriding feeling that I can remember from that entire occasion 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 team like Barcelona, you must accept not possessing the ball because they're so talented. When they do have the ball, they don't give it away frequently.

"As players in the press and out of possession, we were really focused on our assigned tasks. It was a lot of running and a lot of defensive work. But in the end that led to success. I think that you have to be OK securing victories in that manner as well."

Regarding her inspiration, Kelly Smith:

"I was fortunate of watching her a few times with my dad. Watching her internationally, too, she was just incredible. I hope that her career lasted more and still be playing now, but she was one of the best ever.

"I believe those who teamed up with her would agree and I never got the pleasure of doing that. But watching her was someone that I always used to love."

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

She was not just one of the deadliest players in the competition but Russo was also a persistent danger in the box throughout the campaign, taking more shots (73) and recording a superior xG (nine point seven) than all her peers.

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

Fellow player Mariona Caldentey often delivered 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 stood out.

If a marker got too close, Russo used her physicality to draw fouls, assisting the side gain settled possession in the opponents' half. In the Champions' League the prior year, no player was drawn more fouls than the forward (15).

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

Russo takes minimal touches on the ball, directing it away from opposing players applying player-to-player pressure, before finding close colleagues oriented forward.

By keeping possession in difficult scenarios, she is often capable to act as an release option for her team under pressure.

She is able turn difficult passes into long periods of controlled play and such phases in the opponent's final third result in scores, several of these she finishes personally.