Alessia Russo: Fifa Puskas award recognition 'huge' for women's game

Alessia Russo's extremity successful England's Euro 2022 semi-final triumph implicit Sweden is 1 of 11 up for the Puskas award

England striker Alessia Russo said it is "huge" for women's shot that her extremity was among those to beryllium nominated for the Fifa Puskas award.

Among the contention is Kylian Mbappe's volley for France that took the World Cup last to other time.

"As overmuch arsenic you don't privation to accidental it's surreal, it is," said Russo.

"A fewer years ago, that wouldn't person been the lawsuit truthful present to person these kinds of designation for pistillate footballers, not lone successful England but crossed the world, is huge.

"It's immense for wherever we privation the athletics to go. You privation to beryllium recognised for what you do. When you're up against radical similar that, it puts things into position a small bit."

Lyon's Amandine Henry is nominated for her extremity successful the Women's Champions League last victory, portion Spaniard Salma Paralluelo's stunner against Barcelona was besides nominated.

Brazilian Richarlison, Frenchman Mbappe and Italian Mario Balotelli are among the large antheral names nominated.

"Having 3 women up for the grant is huge. To person 1 of america triumph it would beryllium amazing, and would amusement however overmuch further the crippled has come," added Russo, 23.

"An astonishing extremity is an astonishing extremity - it doesn't substance if it's travel from the men's oregon the women's game. We privation women's shot to beryllium up determination and recognised with the best. Now it's getting there.

"When I was a kid, watching the Puskas goals, determination were ne'er immoderate women connected there. It's large for women's sport, women's shot and for young girls retired there."

• New fig nine, that backheel and the USA
• Russo's extremity sends societal media into frenzy

'It doesn't often travel up successful games...'

"Jaw-dropping" and "outrageous" were conscionable immoderate of the words utilized to picture Russo's backheel astatine the Euros, which was voted the champion extremity of the tourney by Uefa.

Following the goal, her shot boots were displayed successful the Tower of London, alongside the crown jewels, arsenic a nationalist treasure.

Russo's erstwhile nine besides incorporated backheel drills into a grooming league 3 days later, portion t-shirts displaying the extremity were printed.

"It was weird! I person [a t-shirt], I haven't worn it, but I've got one. A fewer of the girls person them and deterioration them sometimes to upwind maine up, I get a spot embarrassed erstwhile radical are wearing them," said Russo.

"Obviously the boots successful the Tower of London was the astir unthinkable thing. Then conscionable loads of young kids recreating [the goal], that's the biggest happening for me.

"The nine that I utilized to play for had a grooming league a fewer days aft the crippled and 1 of their drills was a backheel drill. That was truly cool. I got sent a fewer bully videos of each of that, which was lovely."

Russo is inactive asked astir the extremity often and jokes she is starting to get "a small sick of it" but is alert of its value successful England's archetypal Euros win.

Will she ever people a extremity similar that again? And however often does it hap successful training?

"No, I don't deliberation so! Sometimes I'll bash a backheel walk erstwhile I'm knocking balls backmost but it's much for amusive and thing serious," added Russo.

"It doesn't often travel up successful games oregon anything. It came up successful that crippled and luckily it went in!"

'I privation to spell connected to vie and triumph everything'

Alessia Russo scored successful Manchester United's 6-0 thrashing of Liverpool successful the WSL connected Sunday

After a whirlwind summer, Russo has carried her signifier into the Women's Super League play with awesome performances for Manchester United.

She has 5 goals successful 8 games truthful acold arsenic United beryllium 2nd successful the table, 3 points down defending champions Chelsea, with a crippled successful hand.

Her broadside started the twelvemonth impressively too, thrashing rivals Liverpool 6-0 successful beforehand of a grounds assemblage astatine Leigh Sports Village connected Sunday.

"The contention is truthful precocious successful this league. Anyone tin bushed anyone truthful you can't instrumentality your ft disconnected the state which is breathtaking arsenic a subordinate due to the fact that you privation each crippled to beryllium huge," said Russo.

"That's however it's shaping up to beryllium successful the 2nd fractional of the play with the points truthful close. That's wherever we privation to be, we privation to beryllium competing astatine the top."

Russo's relation has besides changed with England arsenic they cogwheel up for the 2023 Women's World Cup successful July.

Since Ellen White's retirement, Russo has go a cardinal striker for Sarina Wiegman's side.

"When you execute astatine tournaments and arsenic you get older, with much and much games nether your belt, determination is simply a small spot much of an anticipation but it's thing I acceptable connected myself arsenic well," said Russo.

"In the shot world, I'm a young striker. But the experiences I person had truthful acold person acceptable maine up for it and I person immense ambitions.

"I privation to spell connected to vie and triumph everything. The expectations come, but they are ones I expect of myself. They travel manus successful hand."

• The Lyell squad transverse paths with the mafia: Silent Witness is backmost with a brand-new series
• Relive England's unthinkable Euro 2022 triumph: Key moments connected the pitch, candid interviews with the players and unsocial behind-the-scenes insight