In her short spell as an England Women’s squad regular, Alessia Russo has already made quite the impression for her national team. Less than two years after making her England debut, the 23-year-old wrote her name in the record books by scoring an 11-minute hat-trick during their 20-0 Latvia demolition at the end of last year - the fastest in Lionesses’ history.
Records seem to follow the Russo family around, with her father becoming the Met Police’s all-time top goalscorer during his time on the football pitch. Alessia has gone on to new heights though, having joined the family’s beloved Manchester United in 2020.
Her England stardom has continued to rise in the home 2022 European Championships. She made her mark as a substitute in all three group games, scoring the seventh of England’s eight against Norway before netting a brace against Northern Ireland at St Mary’s.
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Who is Alessia Russo and how did she become a footballer?
A family of Italian descent, Alessia Russo’s Sicilian grandfather had an obsession with Manchester United’s Busby Babes when he moved to England around the time of the Munich air disaster in 1958. This love affair with football and the red side of Manchester has continued to blossom through the generations.
Alessia was the daughter of Carol and Mario and grew up in Kent alongside two older brothers, Luca and Giorgio. All three of them pursued a career in football, although Luca chose to focus on track and field. They all took after their father as Mario enjoyed great success for non-league Metropolitan Police FC.
The former copper established himself as the club’s record goalscorer during his near 18-year spell, a feat which still stands today. Mario first introduced his daughter to the local team he was coaching, West Farleigh FC, when she was just five.
He then moved her onto a boy's team at a more advanced level, which prompted “strange looks” from the other parents, as he told Our Game Mag in 2017. Alessia starred for Bearsted FC and soon found herself winning titles and becoming top scorer for the newly formed Bearsted FC girls’ team in the under-10s during the 2007/08 season. Her big break came when she joined Charlton Athletic’s Centre of Excellence.
Alessia Russo’s journey to Manchester United
Less than a couple of years into her time at Charlton, Russo joined English giants Chelsea ahead of the 2010/11 campaign. During the latter stages of her stint with the Blues’ development squad, she began being rewarded with first-team training sessions, and she made her first and only senior appearance against London Bees in the Continental Cup.
Upon leaving west London, Russo knew she’d be making the bold move to the USA, although in the meantime she opted to spend the Spring Series of the FA Women’s Super League with Brighton to keep herself fully match-fit. In autumn 2017, she crossed the Atlantic to play college soccer, joining ACC team North Carolina Tar Heels.
Russo described the highly regarded programme as a "competitive cauldron", and it was here where she really developed her footballing skills. This truly launched her career as she scored a number of goals to help the Tar Heels claim their 21st ACC Championship.
She was joined at the Tar Heels by fellow England player Lotte Wubben-Moy, and the pair of them chose to forego their final year of college eligibility in August 2020 amid the uncertainty of the season following the Covid-19 outbreak. The following month, Russo made her dream move to Manchester United on a two-year contract.
Her impact was immediate after registering an assist in her debut before scoring her first goal for the club the following game, in a 3-0 win against former club Brighton. The 2021/22 season saw Russo lead the team in goals, having netted 11 in 30 appearances in all competitions, and was duly named the inaugural winner of the team’s Players’ Player of the Year award.
Alessia Russo’s international career
Russo progressed through the Lionesses' youth ranks before making her impact on the senior side, being capped in every age group. Her debut came for the under-15s in a 3-1 win against Ireland at St George’s Park.
She then went to the under-17 World Cup in Jordan in 2017, even scoring a later equaliser against would-be champions Korea DPRK in England’s first tournament match. Russo was also part of the squad that finished third at the 2019 under-20 World Cup.
Russo was eventually called up to the senior national team for the first time as part of the 2020 SheBelieves Cup squad. Her debut came in March 2020 in the final game of the tournament, as she came on for Toni Duggan in a 1-0 loss to Spain.
Her first international goals came in incredible style, as she bagged the fastest hat-trick in England history, timed at 11 minutes, during the extraordinary 20-0 win against minnows Latvia. The attacker’s first start didn’t arrive until February earlier this year, during a 1-1 draw against Canada.
She was named in Sarina Wiegman's England squad for UEFA Women's Euro 2022, and has netted three times so far. With England’s leading striker Ellen White entering the twilight years of her career, Russo appears to be a ready-made replacement, and will still harbour hopes to get the starting nod for the upcoming knockout rounds.
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