Manchester United striker and Lionesses hero Alessia Russo has called for more recognition for women’s football following England’s European Championship victory.
His comments come in advance of the delayed start of the WSL season, which will now kick off next weekend.
According to The Mirror, she said: “I think every season is huge for me. But after what we’ve done this summer, we hope the game continues to progress. We look forward to continuing to set new records, with more and more people coming to the games. We want more and more recognition.”
The Lionesses beat Germany 2–1 in the European Championship final at Wembley in front of 87,000 fans, making it the most attended European international final of all time, eclipsing men’s records.
However, in the WSL, the highest level of women’s domestic play in England, the average attendance is only around 1,000 people per game.
In recent years the numbers are increasing and the flagship games in the club’s main stadiums are helping to boost and promote the sport, but they cannot maintain those numbers throughout the season.
Russo hopes England’s success can change all that and inspire the nation to get involved at club level.
He will also look to build his impact on the success of the Lionesses and turn it into success for United. In 15 international matches for the Lionesses he has scored 10 goals.
Last season he scored 11 goals in 30 appearances for the Reds, so he will be a crucial part of United’s campaign.
Red’s first WSL game takes place at home this weekend when they host Reading at Leigh Sports Village.
Marc Skinner’s team is aiming to break into the top three of the WSL this term after finishing fourth three years in a row.
In an earlier interview with The Times, Russo made it clear that his idols have made him hungry to break records for club and country. “I loved watching Wayne Rooney. He was a number 9, he played with his heart on his sleeve. He just he was aggressive, passionate, he scored goals.”
With Russo and his best friend Ella Toone in United’s forward line, next season could hold a lot of promise for the Reds and it would be great if more people were there to witness their success.
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