Euros backheel and vineyard dreams - Russo in her own words

The Football Interview is simply a caller bid successful which nan biggest names successful athletics and intermezo subordinate big Kelly Somers for bold and in-depth conversations astir nan nation's favourite sport.

We'll research mindset and motivation, and talk astir defining moments, profession highs and individual reflections. The Football Interview brings you nan personification down nan player.

Interviews will driblet connected Saturdays crossed BBC iPlayer, BBC Sounds and nan BBC Sport website. This week's question and reply will beryllium broadcast connected BBC One from 23:55 BST connected Saturday, 20 September.

Alessia Russo has risen to world prominence pinch her performances for nine and state successful caller years.

The guardant has won nan European Championship doubly pinch England, and was portion of Arsenal's Champions League-winning squad earlier this year.

Russo scored 4 goals - each from nan chair - during nan Lionesses' successful Euro 2022 campaign, past started each crippled 3 years later arsenic they retained their title successful Switzerland.

Her extremity against Spain successful nan last forced other time, earlier Sarina Wiegman's broadside secured a stunning punishment shootout triumph complete nan world champions.

The 26-year-old Ballon d'Or nominee sat down pinch Kelly Somers to talk astir her life-changing move to nan US arsenic a teenager, her adjacent family enslaved and that backheel.

Kelly Somers: What does shot mean to you?

Alessia Russo: Football has ever been everything to me. It was ever shot that I wanted to do. My passion has ever been football. Passion is nan connection that first comes to mind - love, and conscionable enjoyment. I person truthful overmuch nosy retired connected nan pitch. From specified an early property to now, though things are a batch much superior these days, shot has ever meant to maine that emotion of nan crippled and being introduced to it arsenic a kid.

Kelly: Are you still capable to support that aforesaid emotion and childish enjoyment now? Or has it changed arsenic you've had much success?

Alessia: I effort to. It is difficult erstwhile it is truthful aggravated and location is truthful overmuch connected nan statement each nan time, but I ever opportunity I play my champion shot erstwhile I americium enjoying it and I'm free and successful a bully spot mentally. I effort to support arsenic overmuch of that emotion for nan crippled erstwhile I was a kid into nan crippled now. Ultimately that is why I started and why I americium truthful grateful and happy to beryllium capable to do it each time now.

Kelly: What is your first representation of playing?

Alessia: I person 2 older brothers and I utilized to play pinch them successful nan plot each nan time. My dada coached their squad truthful I utilized to spell down to nan section parkland pinch them and effort to get involved. They were older than maine and successful an all-boys team, truthful I had to bide my clip a small bit. I was conscionable kicking nan shot astir connected nan side, past I was yet allowed to subordinate in. I travel from specified a sporty family and my mum and dada ne'er questioned maine playing football, which I americium truthful grateful for. Ever since I was a small kid they were buying maine shot boots and I deliberation I lived successful shot kits arsenic a kid. My mum was happy erstwhile I wanted nan overseas dress present and there, but they ne'er ever thought shot wasn't a spot for girls, which was astonishing for maine and which is why I consciousness truthful fortunate to travel from nan family I have.

Kelly: What are your early memories of playing? Can you retrieve nan different girls and boys?

Alessia: Originally it was conscionable boys.

Kelly: Were you nan only girl?

Alessia: Yeah. But I was really grateful that nan group of boys I was pinch I went to superior schoolhouse with, truthful I knew a batch of them. At first they were a spot like, 'why is simply a woman joining?' but for maine it was a spot to beryllium myself. I ever had to beryllium bully capable to play pinch them and compete pinch them. I liked that situation and I wanted to trial myself against nan boys that were bigger and stronger. I had to hold a small spot but aft that I ne'er looked back.

Kelly: Can you retrieve nan constituent erstwhile group astir you made you alert of really bully you were?

Alessia : It was astir apt aft I played astatine West Farleigh. I went to Bearsted, which was different all-boys squad and they had an all-girls squad arsenic well. I played pinch nan boys connected nan Saturday and nan girls connected nan Sunday. My coach made maine consciousness for illustration I had potential, which was nice. He was still very harsh connected maine and wanted maine to beryllium training harder and playing harder, but I had a emotion he thought I could spell somewhere. When I went to secondary school, my teachers really pushed maine and sewage maine into region teams and academy trials. It was honestly nan belief of different group earlier myself.

Kelly: Can you retrieve immoderate of those academy tests - aliases possibly ones that didn't spell arsenic good arsenic you hoped?

Alessia: I had to proceedings astatine Charlton. That was a really bully proceedings and I had 1 of nan champion sessions of my life. After that, nan coach said to my dada and said they would for illustration to connection maine a spot successful nan academy, and Dad told maine connected nan measurement home, which was really nice.

Kelly: Did you watch Charlton's women's squad erstwhile you were younger?

Alessia: Yeah. When I was successful nan academy, I was a mascot for Casey Stoney because she was nan skipper astatine 1 point. I retrieve being successful nan passageway thinking, 'wow, this is amazing'. If you look now to what girls get to look up to successful nan stadiums we play at, and nan magnitude of fans we have, it is crazy to spot really acold nan crippled has developed. When you spot these women astatine nan apical of their game, it does animate you to want to spell and do it. I was fortunate that Dad took maine to stadiums to spot nan ladies play, but now you tin spot america connected TV, connected TikTok, connected anything. That is awesome because young girls tin person domiciled models that they tin consciousness and spot their journey.

Kelly: If I had to inquire for 1 personification who has had nan astir power connected your career, personification that has done thing to get you to this point...

Alessia: I had a mates of really influential teachers astatine school. One was Luke Anderson and 1 was Mr Holliday, who sadly passed away. They some group maine up for region tests successful schoolhouse and they took maine nether their wing. I went to nan PE agency successful my luncheon breaks and sat pinch them. They conscionable wanted maine to do truthful good and would springiness thing for maine to beryllium successful retired connected nan pitch. Mr Holliday utilized to really embarrass maine because I would play pinch nan boys and girls successful schoolhouse and he would show each nan boys to walk to me, but that was mortifying for me. I hated that successful beforehand of each nan boys, it was embarrassing. He was great. He utilized to make maine consciousness for illustration I was 10ft tall. As a young woman playing shot pinch nan boys, sometimes you astir apt needed a small spot of that.

Kelly: Has location been 1 infinitesimal wherever you think, 'if that hadn't happened, I mightiness not beryllium wherever I americium today'?

Alessia: I deliberation erstwhile I went to America and played 3 years retired successful college. I was very overmuch a location bird. I utilized to dislike going to my friends for sleepovers because I conscionable wanted to beryllium astatine location pinch my family. That was a large determination for maine to spell retired location and unrecorded successful North Carolina - nan different broadside of nan world - and play shot successful a surrounding I person ne'er known. It was a really reliable decision, but erstwhile I look backmost connected my life, it was nan champion 3 years ever. I learned truthful overmuch astir myself. When you move retired anywhere, you person to turn up quickly and I was connected nan different broadside of nan world. The only personification I knew location was Lotte [Wubben-Moy], who is pinch maine now [at Arsenal], truthful it's bully to reminisce pinch her. Those 3 years changed maine arsenic a person. I understood a spot much astir myself and my assemblage and I went done my first wounded retired there. I besides learned that shot isn't everything, though it does consciousness for illustration it. I recovered joyousness successful different things and made friends for life.

Kelly: At what constituent did you meet Lotte?

Alessia: I've known Lotte since I was astir 12 aliases 13 done England younker camps. She was astatine Arsenal and I was astatine Chelsea and Charlton successful nan academies. She is for illustration nan large sister to everyone - she knows what to do successful stressful situations and handles things truthful smoothly.

Kelly: Everyone knows you are champion friends pinch Ella Toone, and Ella sounds rather different to Lotte. So you person 2 very different friends erstwhile you are distant pinch England and successful shot successful general?

Alessia: For sure. Lotte is for illustration my large sister, aliases much for illustration my mum. Tooney is much for illustration my younger sister - nan 1 that makes you laughter and is annoying and you person to look after. Lotte is ever looking aft everyone else.

Kelly: What was it for illustration coming backmost from college?

Alessia: I came backmost and signed for Manchester United.

Kelly: You were a United instrumentality increasing up right?

Alessia: I was. I ne'er thought they would beryllium willing successful maine arsenic a kid coming retired of college. It was a full caller world of being a full-time athlete. That assemblage clip and that clip astatine United was a really impactful portion of my journey.

Kelly: You went afloat circle pinch Casey Stoney because she was nan head that signed you astatine United?

Alessia: She was. When I signed, they put retired photos of maine holding Casey's manus stepping retired of nan passageway and past maine signing pinch her. That was a full-circle moment. Casey was astonishing for maine erstwhile I signed astatine United. She made it really clear what she wanted from her players and for maine - to beryllium introduced to a first master squad - it made that modulation really smooth.

Kelly: If you could relive 1 lucifer from your profession and nan result could change, what would it be?

Alessia: The 2023 World Cup last against Spain. It wounded a batch aft winning nan Euros, and knowing really that felt, to get truthful adjacent to nan World Cup but past truthful acold distant astatine nan aforesaid time. It near a spread successful america arsenic a team, but nan measurement we bounced backmost successful nan Euros possibly wouldn't person happened if we won. I consciousness for illustration everything happens for a reason.

Kelly: If you could relive 1 lucifer and nan result stayed nan same, what would it be?

Alessia: I'm going to opportunity nan Euro 2022 final. That full twelvemonth and that tournament, and nan effect that changed aft that triumph was thing we could ne'er person imagined. The full process of winning that tourney successful England and past seeing nan change, seeing nan maturation successful nan game, seeing everyone go a instrumentality of women's shot after... that was thing I will ever unrecorded with. The effect we had successful that tournament... each subordinate successful that squad will show you it was much than we ever imagined and we were conscionable successful our small bubble. Me and Tooney talk astir it a lot. Going from cipher really knowing us, to beautiful overmuch overnight you are this England footballer that abruptly has won nan Euros and nan paparazzi are aft you and you are getting these astonishing opportunities that you would ne'er person imagined pre-tournament. For some of us, that full tourney wholly changed our lives.

Kelly: Ellen White was still playing and you went into Euro 2022 astir apt knowing you weren't going to start, and past scored a extremity that was up for nan Puskas award, you triumph nan Euros and you people goals that changed nan people of England's tournament...

Alessia: I conscionable wanted to soak up each moment. I heard from a batch of nan older girls that it is really aggravated and reliable and you are distant from location and location are bully times and bad times passim nan tournament. I conscionable wanted to bask each day. I knew I wasn't going to beryllium progressive that much, particularly successful nan starting XI. I conscionable wanted to train really difficult and beryllium fresh for anything.

Kelly: How galore times person you watched nan semi-final backheel against Sweden back?

Alessia: Not for a agelong clip actually. It is funny because I americium not really a skilful player, I much sound it and run. Chloe Kelly is simply a skilful player, I'm not. That infinitesimal was conscionable truthful instinctive.

Kelly: You are incredibly humble but to opportunity you aren't a skilful subordinate is simply a chaotic point to say. You won nan Euros twice.

Alessia: Some players are really method pinch stepovers.

Kelly: All you attraction astir is scoring?

Alessia: Yeah. How it goes in, it doesn't matter. I ever opportunity successful that tournament, Sarina gave america specified state to definitive ourselves. I wouldn't usually do that. You don't do a backheel for fun, you do it if nan infinitesimal is right. The assurance she instilled successful america was really cool.

Kelly: Your family are incredibly important to you. Talk to maine astir your narration now pinch your brothers.

Alessia: Giorgio went connected Love Island this year. At first it was weird - I couldn't watch it. We were distant astatine nan Euros and I couldn't watch it successful a large group because I needed to watch it connected my own. Me and Tooney went and watched it each night, conscionable america two. He did awesome - he is simply a beautiful personification and he did really well. That is each you tin inquire for arsenic a sister. My different relative is progressive successful shot and he is my agent, actually. They person ever been a monolithic portion of maine arsenic a person, my journey. I worth their opinions. I talk shot pinch them not arsenic overmuch arsenic they want maine to, but they are progressive successful nan full travel of maine arsenic a subordinate and I ever want to effort to make them proud.

Kelly: Your dada was a constabulary serviceman - was he rather strict increasing up?

Alessia: I ever opportunity to him arsenic he gets older, he gets truthful overmuch softer. He is simply a large softie now but erstwhile I was a kid, he was strict.

Kelly: He sends you a connection earlier and aft games. What does he say?

Alessia: He sends maine a connection earlier each crippled and it's a agelong matter that has nan day of nan game, who we are playing and a fewer cardinal things he thinks I person been moving connected aliases that I person been doing well. It's a small spot of a motivational message, past he will nonstop maine a quote aliases something. It's nan constabulary serviceman successful him - he has to beryllium organised.

Kelly: And he has a building erstwhile you opportunity goodbye to him?

Alessia: He ever says "BTB", which intends "be nan best" you tin beryllium successful immoderate you tin do.

Kelly: If you could only execute 1 much point successful your profession aliases life, what would it be?

Alessia: That is specified a difficult question. Winning nan World Cup is nan first that comes to mind.

Kelly: You are still truthful young - do you deliberation beyond football?

Alessia: I do. It's difficult successful nan infinitesimal because it is truthful intense. When you are successful football, each you want to do is triumph each trophy you can. But 1 time aft football, I'd for illustration to person different career. We can't play forever. I'd emotion to person children and unrecorded connected a formation somewhere. I'd emotion to person my ain vineyard and unrecorded successful Italy pinch my family and person loads of kids and move disconnected and conscionable beryllium distant from shot and watch it for nosy and bask a full different life. But I don't deliberation that will ever happen. I look guardant to aft shot and achieving everything I want to execute successful position of trophies. I do look guardant to having different career. I suppose it's a caller shape of life aft you play football.