England hero Russo honoured by mural after Lionesses' historic triumph
Russo scored a crucial equaliser to help England retain their European crown against Spain, with the Lionesses winning 3-1 on penalties following a 1-1 draw.
A mural of Alessia was unveiled to inspire the next generation of talent (Image: Getty Images for The National Lottery) Thanks to National Lottery players, £15.8m of funding is already invested over the next two years in getting more girls across England to play. Over the last 30 years, the National Lottery has invested more than £6 billion into grassroots sport – including changing the game for women and girls' football across the UK.
In attendance at the mural unveiling Bearsted FC was England legend and former record cap holder Rachel Yankey, who said: 'I'm hugely proud of Alessia. I was really pleased yesterday that she got the goal that brought us back into the game. It was a fantastic header and shows you just what sort of a striker she is.
'Looking at this mural, every kid that comes out of Bearsted FC will see it and with it being a homegrown player, people feel more connected, because it was someone local that's gone on to be a star, and they might think, 'if they can do it, then I can do it'. It makes it even more powerful.'
The mural was funded by the National Lottery, who also gave the club £10,000 during the Covid-19 pandemic which was imperative to their survival.
Since then, the club has gone from strength to strength and now has five girls' teams within its ranks, up from zero in 2021.
Bearsted chair Jamie Houston, who has been in the role six years, was grateful for the support the club had received from the organisation.
(Image: Getty Images for The National Lottery) 'The National Lottery helped us back in COVID times, it was a tough time for the club,' the 53-year-old explained. 'They stepped up with a grant and it was survival for us; it was so important. Now they've stepped forward again. What a lovely thing to do.
'Girls now all want to be the next Alessia Russo and it's great they've got a role model they can relate to. We've got this picture on the side of our clubhouse now which we can keep forever. It's an amazing picture and the under-8 girls have been absolutely loving it too. It's so exciting. To me, that's what makes it all worthwhile, to see big smiles on their little faces, it's amazing.'
'It's been so important. We've needed that Lottery investment to make sure that we keep sport going for kids and that they have safe spaces to play and thrive because everybody on that pitch yesterday would have started somewhere," added Yankey.
'I feel proud that actually the visibility of the game is really being thought about and that our current role models are being used to inspire the next generation.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Record
36 minutes ago
- Daily Record
Jordan Smith relishing Hibs chance at history he thought would never come after elite Euro upbringing
The former Nottingham Forest youngster preparing to face FK partizan as David Gray does things differently Jordan Smith grew up at a club absolutely steeped in European pedigree. Now he's just grateful for the chance to play on the continent himself after thinking his chance had gone. The Hibs keeper has already had his first taste of Euro action, playing both legs of the Hibees Europa League second round qualifier against FC Midtjylland which ended in spectacular yet heartbreaking fashion. Now the Hibees are in Belgrade to take on FK Partizan in the third round of the Conference League qualifiers. The Serbs may be playing second fiddle to bitter city rivals Crvena Zvezda - Red Star Belgrade in old money, who finished on 100 points and 27 clear of Partizan last season - but they remain amongst the more recognisable names of European football. Smith learned his trade as a goalkeeper at twice European Cup winners Nottingham Forest. He might not be about to continue the tradition by lifting a European trophy, but that doesn't mean he can't help Hibs make their own history. 'I grew up as a youngster at Forest, where the older gentlemen around the place spoke with smiles on their faces about the great days when they won two European Cups,' he said. 'Those successes created so many great memories for everyone at that club and that's what we want for Hibs. The gaffer challenges us to make our own history and that's what we've given ourselves the chance to do. 'All the fans who travelled to Denmark with us last time were fantastic, it was special for them and for us. I've seen a few of them since and they're so proud to be following us in Europe again. 'We want to give them a result that makes them even prouder. We want them to come away with memories that get passed down through the years. 'At Forest, the photos and all the other reminders are everywhere, at the stadium and the training ground – and to be honest, it's quite hard to live up to that. As soon as new signings walk in the door, the first thing they show them is the replica of the European Cup. Then there's the two stars on the badge, all that kind of stuff. 'It's something everyone there can be very proud of and I was definitely proud to have worn that crest, to have represented them. I'm so glad they're back at the top level again. 'In all honesty, I thought at 30 my chance of playing in Europe had gone. 'I'd kind of got lost in the English system and spent a long time wondering what my level was going to end up as. 'The gaffer's spoken a lot about Dwight Gayle and what a career he's had, but playing at this level is something he never got to do, so you never take it for granted. 'We actually hoped the chance of European football might have tempted him back, but it didn't quite work. 'For me, though, as a 30-year-old, would I have expected it? No. So it's testament to all of us here that we've earned the right to represent Hibs here. 'I hadn't played first team football for a long time before getting my chance here and there's no doubt that doubts begin to creep in. You have to work hard to maintain confidence in yourself, so I can't sing the gaffer's praises enough for having that confidence, for sticking with me. 'I'd like to think I've repaid his faith with my performance since coming into the team at the end of last October – I'm quite proud of myself, I give myself a little pat on the back, but never forgetting that the attention's always on the next game and being at your best again. 'My game's changed massively since the gaffer brought me in. 'There's no pretending that when I came in the team wasn't in a dark place, so it was all about trying hard not to make mistakes that would make things worse. 'But since then we've been on a great run, so we all feel a bit better about ourselves and it means I can work on helping the defenders in front of me more, taking some of the pressure off them.' Hibs' preparations for their trip to Denmark didn't go to plan as major delays in Edinburgh threw them well off schedule. They still left with a 2-2 draw, but David Gray is taking no chances for the trip to Belgrade and they are doing things differently given the logistics of flying to the Serbian capital. "There is the element of that,' he explained. 'You want your flight to be on time. You want to take off at the right time and land at the right time, but sometimes it doesn't quite work like that. "We had a delay going over to Denmark the last time, and sometimes things are out of your control. That could quite easily happen again. "So if we get the work into the players in the morning, training-wise, we know if something was to happen and we didn't arrive until later on at night, we know we're getting there, having done the work, and the players can get a good night's sleep. If they don't go to the stadium, it's not the end of the world. "At least then everything's geared up and ready. They know exactly what they're going into and they can get ready for the next day, so it's about making sure you do everything you can to mitigate risk. "Denmark was a wee bit different with only being an hour and a bit away so we're playing this one slightly differently. There are challenges you need to throw in there."
Scotsman
36 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Hibs No. 1 grew up on Euro legends at Forest - and can't wait to make own history
Europa Conference League test in Belgrade an opportunity for Easter Road side Sign up to our Hibs football newsletter Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to Edinburgh News, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Jordan Smith was raised on tales of European glory. Weaned on the history of a club whose continental exploits remain the stuff of legend. Having waited so long for his first taste of UEFA competition, the 30-year-old goalkeeper is determined to savour every minute of Hibernian's adventure. And to extend the experience for as long as possible. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Smith, who takes no offence at references to his career focusing on the journeyman-like aspects of his travels to date, has come into his own since being dropped into the middle of a full-brown crisis at Easter Road last season. Having shown himself to be a dramatic improvement on Joe Bursik, he's currently seeing off the challenge of new signing Raphael Sallinger. Smith, who actually racked up 50-plus games for Forest before moving on to Barnsley, Mansfield, Huddersfield and Stockport, explained the lure of competing in the Europa Conference League – after being knocked out of the Europa League by Midtjylland – in simple terms. 'I grew up as a youngster at Forest, where the older gentlemen around the place spoke with smiles on their faces about the great days when they won two European Cups,' he said, with a grin. 'Those successes created so many great memories for everyone at that club - and that's what we want for Hibs. The gaffer challenges us to make our own history and that's what we've given ourselves the chance to do. 'All the fans who travelled to Denmark with us last time were fantastic, it was special for them and for us. I've seen a few of them since and they're so proud to be following us in Europe again. We want to give them a result that makes them even prouder. We want them to come away with memories that get passed down through the years. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'At Forest, the photos and all the other reminders are everywhere, at the stadium and the training ground – and to be honest, it's quite hard to live up to that. As soon as new signings walk in the door, the first thing they show them is the replica of the European Cup. Then there's the two stars on the badge, all that kind of stuff. 'It's something everyone there can be very proud of, and I was definitely proud to have worn that crest, to have represented them. I'm so glad they're back at the top level again. 'Thought my chance had gone ...' 'In all honesty, I thought at 30 my chance of playing in Europe had gone. I'd kind of got lost in the English system and spent a long time wondering what my level was going to end up as. 'The gaffer's spoken a lot about Dwight Gayle and what a career he's had, but playing at this level is something he never got to do, so you never take it for granted. We actually hoped the chance of European football might have tempted him back, but it didn't quite work! Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'For me, though, as a 30-year-old, would I have expected it? No. So it's testament to all of us here that we've earned the right to represent Hibs here.' Smith expects to be put to the test here in Belgrade tonight, with Partizan boasting a young team full of talent. And, of course, the atmosphere is certain to be towards the lively end of uproarious. 'A couple of the boys had a look online at Partizan's games and we know it's going to be a hostile environment,' said the experienced goalie. 'That's one of the great things about Europe, though, the fact that we get to travel to places we wouldn't normally go to, that we get to experience these kinds of atmospheres. 'It'll be different from Midtjylland, that's for sure. But when we were talking at the back end of last season, this is the kind of night it was all about, this is what we were aiming for. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'It's another opportunity for to and enjoy that and to try and prove ourselves. You need a strong mindset to thrive in the kind of atmosphere we're expecting to face. You'll definitely get the adrenaline and the nerves, it just depends on how you use them – do you allow them to breed doubt or to fuel the fire. 'For me, there's a real need to concentrate more, something I work on a lot. As I've got older, I've practiced focussing my mind more and more. When you think that Thursday went to extra-time, then you're thinking about the possibility of penalties, then you're having to pick yourself up for a league, then you're back into Europe again, you have to find ways to keep yourself switched on all the time. 'I think that's even more important for a goalkeeper, because while an outfield player might get away with switching off for a split-second and making a mistake, we don't.' Smith still carries the air of a man living some unexpected dream. Signed very much as a back-up to former England Under-21 star Bursik, he deserves enormous credit for taking his chance when it came. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I hadn't played first team football for a long time before getting my chance here and there's no doubt that doubts begin to creep in,' he confessed, adding: 'You have to work hard to maintain confidence in yourself, so I can't sing the gaffer's praises enough for having that confidence, for sticking with me. 'I'd like to think I've repaid his faith with my performance since coming into the team at the end of last October – I'm quite proud of myself, I give myself a little pat on the back, never forgetting that the attention's always on the next game and being at your best again. 'My game's changed massively since the gaffer brought me in. There's no pretending that when I came in the team wasn't in a dark place, so it was all about trying hard not to make mistakes that would make things worse. 'But since then we've been on a great run, so we all feel a bit better about ourselves and it means I can work on helping the defenders in front of me more, taking some of the pressure off them. You're a small part of a big team, someone who just tries to help as best he can. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad 'I've learned a lot about myself these past ten months. In a footballing sense I'm still a student of the game, someone who still watches every frame of footage I can about the opposition. 'And as a person, when I think back to those really testing times, I feel better prepared to deal with the high-pressure moments that lie ahead.'
Daily Mirror
2 hours ago
- Daily Mirror
Liverpool transfer news: Harvey Elliott sends farewell message and Alexander Isak update
Arne Slot has overseen a number of ins and outs during his second summer transfer window as Liverpool manager and there could yet be more to come in the next few weeks Liverpool get their Premier League season underway against Bournemouth a week tomorrow, and the Reds have already had a very busy transfer window. They might not be done just yet, though, with options remaining in two key areas. One of those is in attack, where the rejected bid for Alexander Isak points to a desire for further reinforcements. With Darwin Nunez drawing closer to an exit, we could see the Isak situation continue to run. Arne Slot is also keen on a new centre-back after Jarell Quansah's move to Bayer Leverkusen. Ibrahima Konate only has one year left on his contract, though he could yet sign an extension, while Virgil van Dijk and Joe Gomez each have two. There have also been a number of exits. Trent Alexander-Arnold might be the highest-profile star to move on, with Luis Diaz the most expensive sale, while Tyler Morton has also left Anfield. Harvey Elliott could soon his name to that list, with RB Leipzig keen on the youngster. Here are Mirror Football 's latest lines on the Anfield ins and outs. Elliott's farewell message Harvey Elliott has shared a moving message for Tyler Morton after the midfielder's Liverpool exit. Morton, who won the Under-21 Euros with Elliott over the summer, has completed a permanent move to Lyon. "My brother @tylermorton6. So proud my mate!! Deserve it more than anyone," Elliott wrote, along with two red heart emojis. Elliott has also taken stock of his own future, but has yet to make a decision amid interest from RB Leipzig. "I just want to improve and be the best possible version of myself. If that's to go somewhere else, then it's a decision that I'm going to have to make and I just need to see what happens," he said earlier in the year. "Nothing makes me want to leave. I love the club, I love the fans, the team. I support them as well. But most importantly, it's just about what's best for my career." Howe comments on Isak Newcastle boss Eddie Howe has provided an update on Alexander Isak. The striker is back in the North East, but was kept away from a bonding session to which players' families were invited. 'The player has a responsibility here to be part of a team and part of a squad and you have to act in the right way. No player can expect to act poorly and train with the group as normal," Howe said. Sweden striker Isak was training in Spain as he recovered from a minor injury, missing out on pre-season action in the process. It remains to be seen whether he is still a Newcastle player when the new season starts. Nunez on his way Al-Hilal look to have won the race for Liverpool forward Darwin Nunez. The Uruguayan international had appeared to favour a European stay, but instead looks poised to move to the Saudi Pro League. Reports suggest a fee of £46million has been agreed. That marks a loss on what the Reds paid Benfica for his services in 2022, even without any of the potential add-ons included in the deal. Nunez, 26, has 25 goals in 95 Premier League outings for Liverpool - many of those games coming as a substitute. He played just over 1,100 league minutes last term, returning five goals and three assists. Join our new WhatsApp community and receive your daily dose of Mirror Football content. We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like. If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
