Alessia Russo is in her prime. On the pitch, she’s doing what she does best – having scored six goals and assisted three in her first WSL season with Arsenal. She’s also a regular starter for the Lionesses and played a key role in England reaching the final of last summer’s Women’s World Cup. And to top it all off, she’s been working hard behind the scenes on something she’s passionate about – helping grassroots women’s football to get the attention and support it deserves.

When we speak, she’s just finished the final training session before the sold-out north London derby – a match in which she’ll go on to score the winning goal. But just days before, Russo was paying a visit to her grassroots club, Bearsted FC, where she played throughout her youth years.

“It was so nice,” she says of her visit to the club. “You see girls from five to 15 just full of life and energy and love for women’s football. That was literally me 10 or 15 years ago, and it was nice to go out and see them all and just engage with them all for a bit. I know that when I was that age, if that had happened to me, I would have been so excited. Helping to make sure that the young girls coming through have it better and never have to question a route into football is important to me.” 

While Russo is reluctant to call herself a role model, she knows just how many young players – including the girls at her old club – look up to her.

It’s one of the reasons why, alongside Manchester City goalkeeper Khiara Keating, she’s joined forces with Adobe to become an ambassador for the brand’s FA Cup sponsorship. Arsenal may have left the tournament early after a hard-fought clash with Keating’s team, but Russo’s new position will see her work to increase fan engagement and help clubs elevate their profile using the free software Adobe has made available to all clubs who took part in the competition this year. 

“The FA Cup is one of my favourite tournaments as a player – it always has been,” she says. “I just think there’s so much magic in the FA Cup because you can never call who’s going to win it. It’s kind of where worlds collide. And I think the partnership with Adobe – who genuinely want to help the game grow and elevate these grassroots clubs – is really exciting.” 

Of course, the growth of the women’s game hasn’t come without its challenges. More people than ever are turning out to watch women’s football, with Arsenal’s current run of sell-out matches at the Emirates Stadium providing proof of the support the game now enjoys. But while Russo describes the impact of this support as “massive” – both to her performance on the pitch and women’s football as a whole – she acknowledges that this newfound support has come with plenty of pressure.

The last 12 months in particular have been a learning curve, she says. “I think everyone would be lying if they said that it was easy and that they didn’t read the comments and see what people write – it’s inevitable that you’ll stumble across certain things which are not nice and can affect your confidence and how you’re feeling within yourself. 

“I’ve had to deal with a lot of different things on social media over the last year, but I’ve found that it’s just important to surround myself with the right people and know that those are the only opinions that matter. If I know that I’m doing my teammates, coaches and family proud, that’s all that really matters.” 

Another hurdle the women’s game is currently facing is the health of its athletes – particularly when it comes to long-term injuries. The last 12 months have seen several high-profile players side-lined with injuries to their anterior cruciate ligament (ACL). In 2024 alone, stars including Chelsea’s Sam Kerr and Mia Fishel and Manchester City’s Jill Roord have suffered from an ACL tear or rupture, with England captain Leah Williamson only just returning to the pitch after her nine-month absence due to the injury. And it’s an issue that can affect grassroots clubs, too; other factors aside, women are three to six times more likely to injure their ACL compared to men.

In a bid to tackle this, the FA announced last month that it would become mandatory for football clubs in the Women’s Super League and Championship to have a women’s health lead in place to support athletes, with staff across the board being required to undergo training on everything from injury prevention and pelvic health to nutrition, female-specific kit and the menstrual cycle. There are also plans to do the same across the grassroots game, although work is still ongoing.

I ask Russo if she thinks the new plans are a step in the right direction. “It’s definitely an area of the game that’s growing quite rapidly at the moment, because the men’s game set the standard for so many years,” she says. “Now the game has grown for women, I think it’s really important that we recognise that tailored care is something that we as players need. Our hormonal fluctuations and being on our period is a natural part of us as athletes, but it can be tough to deal with. Hopefully these new plans will help us to feel and perform better going forward.” 

It’s been a crazy 24 months for the 25-year-old – and she’s excited to see what the future holds. In 2025, England will attempt to retain the title of European Champions, but first, they’ll have to qualify in matches set to be played later this year. But without the Olympics this summer (the team narrowly missed out on qualification back in December), is there a chance Russo will have a moment to reflect on everything that’s happened?

“Hopefully I’ll get to go on holiday and relax a little bit – switch off,” she laughs. “You don’t really ever get time to sit back and reflect on things because the game moves so quickly and there’s always something else to focus on – another game or another tournament you’re chasing. You never really get time to stand still. But that’s one of the reasons why I love it.” 

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Images: Adobe; Getty