Lessi Loves Her Young Lionesses (Alessia Russo interview)

Chelsea forward Alessia Russo, joint-top scorer at the Under-17 European finals in Belarus, describes being fast-tracked into the first-team squad after joining the club at twelve, and making her debut against London Bees in the Continental Cup. Training with WSL champions is a step up even from England camps, she says, and she learns tricks from Gemma Davison as well as how the seniors eat and train. She scored twice in a twelve-nil win over hosts Belarus, a UEFA finals record, though the squad’s focus was World Cup qualification. Of the Jordan group she expects Nigeria to be big and athletic, North Korea technical and fast, and Brazil to bring individual skill.