Alessia Russo wins England Player of the Year award

Alessia Russo of England during the Republic of Ireland V England, UEFA Women's European 2025 Qualifying match at Aviva Stadium on April 9th, 2024 in Dublin, Ireland.
(Image credit: Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images)

Alessia Russo has been named England Player of the Year in an award voted for by fans.

The forward, who plays her club football for Arsenal, beat Lauren James and Lucy Bronze who came second and third respectively.

In the 2023/24 season Russo made 11 starts for England, scoring six goals.

Alessia Russo's England career to date

Alessia Russo scored a hat-trick against Latvia after coming off the bench (Tim Goode/PA).

Alessia Russo with her best friend and England teammate Ella Toone

Russo won her first cap for England in 2020 in a SheBelieves Cup game against Spain, which England lost 1-0.

She was a part of the winning Lionesses European Championship team in 2022 where she was used as a replacement for the entire tournament.

Alessia Russo of Arsenal looks on during the Barclays Women's Super League match between West Ham United and Arsenal at Chigwell Construction Stadium on October 20, 2024 in Dagenham, England.

Alessia Russo of Arsenal in action against West Ham (Image credit: Alex Burstow/Arsenal FC via Getty Images)

After Ellen White's retirement, she took on the number nine starting role more frequently and starred at the 2023 World Cup.

Russo was also a key figure in England qualifying for the 2025 European Championships and she was England's top-scorer in the 23/24 season.

Russo was surprised with the Player of the Year award by her brother George and both of her parents.

They presented her the gong at St George's Park where the Lionesses are training for upcoming friendlies against Germany and South Africa.

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The Lionesses will play Germany on Friday and South Africa on 29 October, which in FourFourTwo's opinion should see England come away with two wins.

The games may also restart Russo's scoring form as she has struggled for goals this season at Arsenal.

She has scored once in her last 10 appearances for the club.

Sarah Rendell
Women's football editor

Sarah joined the FourFourTwo team in September 2024 in a freelance role. She also writes for The Guardian, BBC and Rugby World where she specialises in women's football and rugby. Sarah has a bachelors degree in English and a master's in newspaper journalism.