Alessia Russo's thoughts revealed as Arsenal star's brother joins Love Island
As Arsenal and England sensation Alessia Russo gears up to spearhead her nation's quest at the forthcoming European Championships, her sibling Gio Russo is set for a contrasting summer stint on Love Island.
Gio, short for Giorgio and a former semi-professional footballer himself, has expressed his excitement about joining the reality TV show, noting that his sister, a keen Love Island enthusiast, is rooting for him.
"She's really excited, she watches every year and reckons I can do well so she's excited to see how I get on," Gio told ITV. With Gio looking for love, he has also outlined the need for any potential partner to be into sport.
"My sister plays pro football, so being interested in sport, they don't have to know football or understand it, but if they can show some sort of interest because it is such a prominent thing in our family," he said. "It would be hard if they hated it.
"Other green flags are having a nice family, I'm sick of being the 7th wheel in my own family!" added Gio ahead of his late addition to the show, which began on June 9.
The timing of the reality show meand Gio could miss a great deal of Alessia's involvement at the Euros. England begin their campaign against France on July 5, with The Netherlands and Wales rounding off the group.
England and France were also paired together in qualifying, with Alessia scoring for Sarina Wiegman's team during a victory in Saint-Etienne. The Arsenal star scored four times for the Lionesses as they won the Euros on home soil in 2022, and was England's top scorer in qualifying for the 2025 tournament with three.
Wiegman's team have a farewell friendly on Sunday, at home to Jamaica at the King Power Stadium. Alessia Russo scored in England's most recent game, a UEFA Nations League match away to Spain, though that ended in a narrow 2-1 defeat.
Gio, isn't the only islander with football connections. Dejon Noel-Williams, son of former Watford striker Gifton and a Grenada international footballer in his own right, is also part of the line-up.
"I've met all kinds of famous people through him," said Dejon, who works as a personal trainer and semi-pro footballer. "When I was younger it was weird because he was just my dad, but we'd go to a game and fans were asking for photos. I've met David Beckham, he was really nice."
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