Back-heel England hero Alessia Russo likened to Messi, has Italian football in her blood and is living dream at Man Utd
CHEEKY, impudent and downright outrageous - Alessia Russo stole the show in England's sensational 4-0 win over Sweden in the Euros semi-final with a goal for the ages.
After an earlier chance was saved, she raced onto the rebound and with her back to goal delivered a delicious back heel that went through goalkeeper Hedvig Lindahl's legs.
It was Russo's fourth goal of a competition, in which she's played the role of super sub.
And it has further transformed her reputation as a leading light of the women's game.
The 23-year-old striker has been christened 'Lessi' by fans - who have likened her skills to Argentine legend Lionel Messi.
Born in Maidstone, Kent her path to glory has seen her play for the likes of Chelsea, Brighton, North Carolina Tar Heels, and now Manchester United.
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Her journey to the top started with Italian heritage in her blood.
Football is in her blood
In the 1950s, Russo's Sicilian grandfather moved to the UK to set up a life here.
Football was very much the family past time.
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Dad Mario played non-league football for the Met Police, while her brother Giorgio appeared for Ramsgate in Kent.
Her younger brother, Luca also showed an aptitude for sport - attending the University of Missouri after he was accepted on a track and field scholarship.
But it was the beautiful game that would entice Russo - who starred for Bearsted Girls under 10's.
She soon moved to Charlton to continue her development at their centre of excellence, where she would be a mascot for her future Manchester United manager Casey Stoney, before joining Chelsea in 2016.
However, she struggled to break into the Blues side - appearing just once in a first-round Continental Cup match.
In January 2017, Russo signed for Brighton - where she showed promise netting three goals in seven games.
A new experience would await.
College football in the US
The exceptional talent headed to college in the States in the autumn of 2017 and began playing for the North Carolina Tar Heels.
In her first year as a freshman, Russo played 19 times and was her team's top scorer with nine goals.
Russo's performances saw her showered with several accolades, including co-ACC Freshman of the Year, ACC All-Freshman Team selection and United Soccer Coaches All-East Region first team selection.
A broken leg didn't stop her from winning more awards in her second year - and she earned a United Soccer Coaches first-team All-America selection, becoming the first Tar Heel to make the first team since Crystal Dunn in 2013, and was named ACC Offensive Player of the Year.
In 2020, though, she was saddened to leave college because of the uncertainty surrounding the football season with the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
It wasn't long until her favourite club came knocking on the door - requesting her services to bolster their forward line.
Man Utd fan
As a lifelong Manchester United fan, when the Red Devils approached Russo it felt like she was in dreamland.
The move came just a month after she left America - and softened the blow of forgoing her final year.
She inked a two-year deal - with the option of a third - and made her debut three days later in a 5-2 win over Birmingham City. Better still, she registered an assist and endeared herself to her new team-mates.
Within a month, she was nominated for WSL Player of the Month.
A hamstring injury that required surgery saw her miss the remainder of her first season.
But, she returned last season to score 11 times in 30 games - winning the team's Players' Player of the Year award.
And she has a fan in an Arsenal legend.
The Wright stuff
Ian Wright has lauded Russo throughout the Euros, and echoed fans' thoughts by comparing her to Messi after her wonder goal.
The BBC pundit also believes she should be starting ahead of legend Ellen White, who has had the faith of Dutch boss Sarina Wiegman.
"'Lessi', not Messi, for what she [Russo] has done when she comes on. I don’t know what she has to do to start a game," he said after the game.
"The improvisation is fantastic. When she came on she instantly made an impact. She links play. I’m not sure what more she needs to do to start.
"When you look at Ellen White’s contribution over the years you can’t question it. But she hasn’t done enough in this tournament.
"This girl [Russo] is doing it. I don’t think Wiegman will change it."
Wiegman, herself, was equally wowed by Russo's strike.
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The England boss said: "You must have so much courage to do such an unpredictable and phenomenal thing like that, no one could react to it. That was so nice to watch."
Now, England fans will be hoping they will get to watch a lot more of Russo leading the Lionesses' line for years to come.
