Born Kicking on Screen — Alessia Russo

A Born Kicking on Screen feature with Alessia Russo, the girl in Sky Sports’ Park Game advert. Russo explains that she auditioned through the D and B School for Performing Arts and was the only girl to get a part, alongside boys from Premiership academies and others of different shapes and sizes, because Sky wanted the game to look like a normal park kickabout. Filmed over two days in May in a park in Northolt, the shoot was mostly just playing football, with six or seven cameras and the Sky helicopter overhead. She met Jamie Redknapp, Andy Gray, Max Rushden and Helen Chamberlain, who all played with the children between takes. Russo scored during filming and was named by Gray and Martin Tyler. After three seasons at Charlton’s girls Centre of Excellence she has joined Chelsea’s at Under-12 level, and dreams of playing for England.