Female Footballer of the Year Contender Russo

Age: 26 Playing Role: Forward Teams: The Gunners 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 Women's Champions League since the Gunners did in 2008, and also helped guide the Lionesses to the defence of their continental crown.

She scored 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.

The forward was honored as the Football Writers' Association's top female player for last season.

Russo finished as the Women's Super League's co-leading goalscorer, sharing the top scorer award with Khadija Shaw.

Russo netted 12 league goals for the club and provided assists for a further two.

Her name was put forward for the prestigious individual award and named in the PFA and the Uefa Champions League season's best XIs.

Her thoughts on personal development over the past year:

"My top performances come when I'm enjoying myself and I know I'm training hard and I'm getting my work done, so those are aspects that are within my power.

"There's so many different aspects to a striker's role, it requires precision and there are tiny differences. I continue to develop. Our staff is excellent here at the club. I have great players to learn off as well. Then when the important matches come around, the more you do them, the more you get used to them."

Reflecting on England's European triumph:

"The whole tournament was a total emotional ride. There were ups and downs. It was emotionally really hard. It was taxing on our bodies.

"I remember after the last-eight game, a lot of us were extremely sore and injured. It was so intense. But you've got to turn it around quickly. It moves so fast.

"I think the way that we won throughout that whole tournament was just grit and resilience. And we were aware that we had the team, we knew that we had the necessary qualities.

"You're playing against the best teams in the world, the elite athletes in the world and sometimes you have to win a little bit dirty."

Discussing the European final:

"The main emotion 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 trusted the game plan and what we aimed to achieve.

"Obviously playing against a side such as Barça, you've got to be comfortable not having the ball because they're so talented. When they do have the ball, they don't give it away that often.

"As players in the press and defensively, we were highly concentrated on our assigned tasks. There was extensive movement and plenty of defending. But ultimately that led to success. In my opinion you have to be content securing victories in that manner as well."

Regarding her inspiration, Kelly Smith:

"I got the pleasure of seeing her play a couple of occasions with my dad. Watching her internationally, too, her talent was remarkable. I hope that she could have played longer and still be playing now, but she was one of the best ever.

"I think anyone that has played with Kelly 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 scored 12 goals in 21 games in the Women's Super League the previous campaign to divide the scoring award.

Not only was she one of the most clinical players in the competition but Russo was also a constant threat in the box throughout the campaign, taking more shots (seventy-three) and recording a superior xG (nine point seven) than all her peers.

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

Team-mate a teammate regularly played forward balls into her, so effective ball retention was essential.

Her skill to retreat into midfield, freeing herself from her nearby marker through sharp, darting movements was notable.

If a marker got in tight, Russo used her physicality to win free-kicks, assisting the side secure the ball in the enemy territory. In the European tournament last season, nobody was fouled more than the Arsenal striker (fifteen).

When the ball does stick, her control are extremely efficient. Her frequent scanning of her surroundings means she stays conscious of where opponents are.

Russo takes few contacts on the ball, moving it clear from defenders applying player-to-player pressure, before locating close colleagues oriented forward.

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

She is able convert tough balls into long periods of stable possession and such phases in the attacking zone result in scores, many of which she ends up scoring herself.