England kick off the defence of their European crown on July 5 when they take on France in Zurich.
And while Sarina Wiegman’s side will start the tournament as one of the favourites, their build-up has not been ideal, with Millie Bright withdrawing from the squad following a gruelling season with Chelsea, while Euro 2022 winners Mary Earps and Fran Kirby have both retired from international football.
Wiegman will therefore be looking for her experienced players to step up and in Alessia Russo she has a forward who has recently clocked up her 50th Lionesses cap and on the domestic front is fresh from winning the Champions League with Arsenal.
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Ellen White on Alessia Russo’s rise
Ellen White, one of Russo’s predecessors in both an Arsenal and England shirt, believes that the 26-year-old can be a difference-maker this summer.
“I knew she was special when she came into the England squad – I felt like she was next in line,” White told FourFourTwo. “Going to Arsenal has been great for her. Under Renee Slegers, her game has been elevated. She’s had more opportunities to score, and working closer with Kelly Smith on the training pitch, you can see her movement. She’s more in the box, in scoring positions. She looks happy and confident, too.
“It takes a while to understand the pressures of being England’s No.9 – it’s a lot. You’re expected to score in every game, you’re expected to do something special, you’ve got to lead the line, press, everything.
“It maybe took a year or two and she was still young, she needed the experience and game time, but she’s cemented her spot now and has been scoring some great goals.
“It’s not just that, Alessia’s work ethic is phenomenal,” continues White, who FourFourTwo ranked at no.78 in a list of the 100 greatest women’s footballers of all-time. “You need to have that as a No.9 and she has it in abundance.
“I’m really excited to see what happens this summer, but I don’t want to put too much pressure on her. If she doesn’t score, that isn’t a bad thing.
“She can do so many other things in the game, it’s not just about scoring goals. I feel proud of her and excited for what can come in the future. She has a lot of room to grow.”
After taking on France in their Group D opener, the Lionesses will face the Netherlands and Wales as they bid for a place in the knockout stages in Switzerland.
