The 24-year-old has enjoyed a meteoric rise to prominence over the last few years, having started her career with spells at Chelsea and Brighton before joining Manchester United in 2020. Russo quickly became a household name for the Red Devils, while also earning a regular spot in the England team, and she has been making headlines on a weekly basis this summer.
Russo left United as a free agent at the end of the 2022-23 season, which saw her score 10 goals in 20 WSL matches, and is reportedly set to join Arsenal ahead of the new campaign. But right now, her focus is locked on international matters, with England gearing up for another shot at glory at the 2023 World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
England will be among the favourites to win the tournament, one year on from their success at the European Championships, and Russo will hope to play a key role to cap what has been a remarkable career so far.
Russo didn't always feel destined for stardom, though, as she told GOAL: "People would laugh because the chances of making it are slim, but especially as a girl I think people just thought it was a bit of a joke. Around 16 I realised it could actually be a career."
The England striker added on how negative perceptions of the women's game have been gradually stamped out in recent years: "You're always stereotyped when you're a girl playing football, people telling you its a boy's sport and we should be doing other things, but it didn't really affect me when I was a young kid and again now doesn't really bother me because you can see the respect that women's football has in the world today. It was a long time coming but women's football has finally been given the stage it deserves."
Phil Neville gave Russo her first chance in the Lionesses set-up, and she remembers the exact moment that the former England boss called to give her the good news.
"I was in a geology class in America, I went to university out there for three years," said Russo. "I looked at my phone and I had a missed call from Phil Neville, so I left the class to go and ring him back, and he told me that I was going to the SheBelieves Cup. Originally it was a training player and then someone got injured so I went in as a full squad player, and he gave me my debut at the tournament. I don't think I went back to class."
Russo now has 21 caps under her belt, and four of her 11 goals for England came during their run to glory at the Euros. "I don't think anyone would have guessed that the Euros would go on to be as special as it was," she said of the experience.
"Playing at a sold-out Wembley in front of 90,000 people to lift the trophy. A lot of us say it was like going into the Big Brother house then coming out as a household name. It's something that I would never change for the world and it's a summer and tournament that will go down in history forever."
England are currently dealing with an injury crisis that has seen the likes of Beth Mead and Leah Williamson ruled out of the World Cup, and Russo acknowledges that the tournament will be a very different challenge compared to the Euros.
She has no doubt that Sarina Wiegman will have the squad ready to compete, though, and is relishing the prospect of playing against the very best teams on the biggest stage in the game. "I anticipate that this summer is going to be very different, we're the other side of the world and it's not a home Euros anymore, which is okay," said Russo.
"New challenge, new experience, I've never been to a World Cup, that first and foremost will be special. I don't think the standard of the women's game has ever been higher so there are going to be lots of teams going there to win it. But I'm sure we'll be ready and firing and ready to go."
Check out the full episode of Grassroots To Glory on the official Indivisa YouTube channel.
