Alessia Russo wins England Player of the Year award
Alessia Russo picks up the gong voted for by Lionesses fans
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
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.
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.
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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 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.