Rewind to 27 July 2022, the night Alessia Russo wrote herself into the history books. In the heat of a Sheffield semi-final, England’s “super sub” produced one of the most audacious goals seen at a European Championship. “The Russo” as it has come to be known – the cheeky angled backheel that befuddled a Sweden defender and nutmegged Hedvig Lindahl in goal – is now adorned on T-shirts and mugs and earned her a nomination for the 2022 Puskas Award. It was the moment the world woke up to exactly what England’s calm blue-eyed assassin could do.
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Fast forward to July-August 2023 and Russo’s stock has risen rapidly while her role for the …