Alessia Russo’s rise to the top of the footballing world may seem unstoppable, but even football’s hottest prospects have a long journey to the summit.

The 26-year-old is now established as England’s first-choice centre-forward, having played the role of super sub to perfection by scoring four goals from the bench in their glorious Euro 2022 triumph.

She goes into this summer’s Euros in Switzerland with a Women’s World Cup final under her belt and a Women’s Champions League winner’s medal recently worn around her neck after a wonderful campaign with Arsenal.

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Her journey has not always followed a conventional path, though, with time in London, Manchester, the south coast and America making her the player she is today.

But one thing has remained the same; Russo has always impressed wherever she has played and she has deservedly earned her place at the very top of Sarina Wiegman’s pecking order.

Star from an early age

As a child Russo was introduced to football at a young age, going down to watch her brother play for West Farleigh, often kicking a ball around at the side of the pitch with her dad.

And it was on such an occasion that her former coach at Bearsted FC Colin Whitfield first spotted the future Lioness, with her enviable footballing talent obvious to all who saw her even when she was still at primary school.

“Her brother was playing in one of the teams I was coaching at the time,” Whitfield recalled.

“I had a chat with her dad, got her involved in the U10 girls’ team I was running at the time. I didn’t have to do a lot of coaching with Alessia to be honest, I just gave her the opportunity to play and she did the rest.

“You could see even when she was eight years old that she had a massive passion for the game and it’s all she wanted to get involved in. I’m really pleased that she’s been able to live her dream.”

Russo now plies her trade as a forward but as a youngster she played in a variety of positions, her versatility being a key reason as to why - while still playing at Bearsted - she was on Charlton’s books from the tender age of eight.

Her time at Bearsted and Charlton came to an end at U12 level when she joined the Chelsea Academy for the next five years, and the journey since then has been a memorable one.

From the UK to the US - and back

A brief spell at Brighton when she was 17 followed on from her time at Chelsea, but ultimately the bright lights of the US came calling for her.

Always intrigued by the prospect of college football, she spent two years playing for North Carolina Tar Heels, with a very familiar roommate joining her in that incredible experience.

“When the opportunity to go to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill came up after I'd visited the school, it was too good an opportunity to turn down,” Russo told England Football.

“Me and Lotte Wubben-Moy being out there at the same time was a bit by chance and a bit planned. Lotte was also considering going out there.

“She was talking to other schools and wasn't sure, so it was a little bit more of a last-minute decision for her, in that sense - whereas I had always had my heart set on it.

“Things went really well for me in North Carolina. I won a lot of individual awards and was part of the All-Star Team.

“I felt like I fitted in really well over there, and as soon as I got playing with the team, I felt comfortable. I was learning and improving as a player, so when the games came around, I felt like I could perform.”

After two years in North Carolina, Russo returned to the UK and, amid the early stages of Covid and lockdown, there was uncertainty about her future.

Eventually she signed a two-year deal at Manchester United, with the option to extend for an extra year, and it was with the Red Devils that she became the superstar she now is.

Appearances were few and far between to begin with, but from the start of the 2021/22 season she became an integral part of the side, making 46 league appearances during her time there.

Her services became hugely sought after back in January, when Russo was the subject of world record bids from Arsenal.

Those bids were rejected and she anchored her side to the FA Cup final and second in the WSL, qualifying for the Women’s Champions League for the first time, but she did not commit to a new contract.

And, shortly before heading Down Under for the 2023 Women’s World Cup, she finally joined the Gunners, where she has had an increasing influence over the last couple of seasons

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England’s rising star

Russo is one of several players who have benefited significantly from the arrival of Lionesses boss Wiegman.

By the end of 2021 she had won just two caps in total for her country, but the following year she played under Wiegman 15 times – with some spectacular results.

In 2022 she was largely employed as a substitute, coming off the bench to exploit tired, worn-out defenders - a role she excelled at in England’s Euros triumph three years ago.

Russo scored her first tournament goal in the 8-0 thrashing of Norway, and then struck twice in a comfortable 5-0 win over Northern Ireland in England’s final group stage match.

But of all her contributions in an England shirt that summer, it was her fourth goal of the Euros against Sweden that is by far and away the most memorable.

Her stunning backheel for England’s third in the 4-0 semi-final triumph was voted the goal of the tournament and remains one of the most iconic Lionesses moments - though at the time she was in fact slightly annoyed she had missed her initial attempt at goal.

"I could have made it a lot easier for myself if I’d just scored the first one,” Russo joked on TV afterwards.

"It fell nicely, I don’t really remember too much about it, I just thought it was the quickest route to get it in the back of the net without having to turn. And I was fortunate enough it went in.

"I didn’t really see it go in, so I don’t know how it went in, but I just celebrated and I enjoyed the moment."

When Russo came off the bench in the ensuing final, the score was 0-0 and the tense crowd at Wembley - the biggest for any Euros match, men or women - were waiting for something special.

And she helped deliver that, England winning 2-1 over extra-time in a truly memorable triumph.

Leaving a legacy

Women’s football in England had already been on the rise before the Lionesses lifted the Euros trophy, but their history-making victory triggered a boom in interest.

“Participation has grown almost 20 per cent since our victory which is really cool and makes me happy,” added Russo, in a pre-2023 World Cup interview with Dazed.

“I want every girl to feel like football’s a place for them, whether they want to coach, play, referee.

“There’s obviously still more to be done and things in the pipeline but they don’t just happen overnight.”

The retirement of Ellen White following the 2022 Euros led to Russo becoming Wiegman’s first choice in leading the Lionesses’ line, a role she seemed to become more comfortable in as the 2023 Women’s World Cup went along.

After scoring the winner in the quarter-final against Colombia, she struck the killer goal that sealed a 3-1 victory over co-hosts Australia in the semis to take England into their first ever World Cup final.

Sadly, Russo’s supply line was cut off by a Spain team who rarely gave up possession in defeating the Lionesses 1-0 in the showpiece at Sydney.

More European glory

Russo won her first major honour at club level in her first season at Arsenal in the Women’s League Cup, but it was the 2024/25 campaign that ended up being her best so far, even though it had a sticky opening.

She was struggling for goals at the time of boss Jonas Eidevall’s resignation, but they began to flow under his successor, Renee Slegers, as the Gunners recovered from a poor start.

With Russo now scoring for fun, Arsenal reached the final of the Women’s Champions League where Stina Blackstenius’ goal earned a 1-0 victory over Barcelona in Lisbon.

Individual honours came her way as well, as she was named the FWA Women’s Footballer of the Year and won the Women’s Champions League Golden Boot as well as a share of the WSL Golden Boot.

The role that Russo and her England team-mates have played in inspiring a next generation and making football more accessible for women and girls is momentous.

But while she holds huge ambitions for the sport off it, her attitude remains as it did when she was a young girl back in Maidstone - despite all her accomplishments on the pitch.