One of the first coaches of England super-sub Alessia Russo on Friday revealed he gave her a tip as a youngster that could have helped her back-heel wonder goal.
Colin Whitfield was Russo’s coach at Bearsted FC in Kent where she was a “phenomenal talent” who played for the under-10s when she was eight.
She notched 76 goals in her first season and Mr Whitfield said he had to take her off occasionally to give the opposition a chance.
In the Euros the Manchester United forward has been coming off the bench, where she has proved deadly in front of goal and run her opponents ragged. She has scored four goals, making her the tournament’s third top scorer behind teammate Beth Mead and German striker Alexandra Popp who have six goals apiece.
Her strikes include the audacious back-heel that helped sink Sweden on Tuesday.
Mr Whitfield said: “I had never seen her score a back-heel like the one against Sweden but I did teach Alessia how to know where the goal is when your back is to it.
“You can hit the target by looking at your own goal and getting the symmetry right. I can’t take the credit but maybe that tip helped.”
He added: “Alessia was a phenomenal talent from the first time I saw her play.
“She used to come and watch her brother and would kick the football at the basketball hoop on the sidelines.
“She started playing for our under-10s and even though she was only eight was the star player.
“She scored for fun — sometimes I took her off because it was not fair on the opposition.”
Russo, 23, comes from a sporty family of Italian descent with her policeman father Mario a qualified coach and her brothers talented in football and athletics. The family are based in Maidstone. She played college football in the US for the North Carolina Tar Heels before embarking on a top-flight career in the Women’s Super League.
Mr Whitfield said despite her amazing performances he would not start Manchester United’s player of the year last season, who has previously played for Chelsea, in the final despite calls from some fans for her to start ahead of record goalscorer Ellen White.
He said: “I would not change it, keep with the formula, because it’s working that’s clear. The coach is doing a fantastic job. When Alessia comes on she is having such an impact. Her dribbling is amazing.”
