Kelly Smith: Not many players in world football can do what Alessia Russo can

With 117 England Women caps and 46 goals to her name, Kelly Smith is rightfully regarded as one of the greatest female footballers Great Britain has ever produced.

The legendary forward is best known for her time at Arsenal, who she spent three different spells with en route to becoming one of the most recognisable names in the women's game, while she also spent a good portion of her career in the United States playing for Philadelphia Charge, New Jersey Wildcats and Boston Breakers.

Smith was a multi-time Women's Premier League and Women's FA Cup winner during her time at Arsenal, winning 14 honours in total, but the start to the 2023/24 season has been difficult for the current of group players.

With very little time to rest or prepare following the Women's World Cup in Australia, Arsenal were eliminated from the Champions League qualification play-offs by Paris FC and they failed to pick up a win in their opening two WSL games.

Four successive league victories and victory over Bristol City in the Gunners' opening Conti Cup Group D clash has got things back on track, and Smith is more than playing her part after returning to the club to assist manager Jonas Eidevall in April.

"I've been brought on board this season by Arsenal to be one of the assistant coaches, but my role mainly is to focus on the attacking players," Smith tells 90min in an exclusive interview. "That's how I played my career, as a striker and a number ten, and I had a great career doing that and I have a lot of knowledge and experience.

"As a role model coming back in, as a player who's been there and done that, my task is to work with Stina Blackstenius, Alessia Russo and Vivianne Miedema to try and fine tune their game and help them with their finishing detail.

"We sit down and watch footage, look at timing of runs, placement of the ball into the back of the net and just analysing and breaking down their game.

"They're already world class players, but it's great to be in that environment just to help with the 1 or 2% to elevate their game to a different level. I've thoroughly enjoyed it so far, working in a team that's really hungry to do well this year."

Reflecting on Arsenal's sluggish start to the new season, Smith adds: "It's been a difficult start to the season for us. Failing to get into the Champions League and then obviously losing our opening game to Liverpool at the Emirates.

"We've had some new additions to the team so it's taken them a while to gel with the team, but we're improving. I can see it on a daily basis, the team are understanding how we want to play now and they're coming together so will hopefully kick on now, and start picking up three points."

There was plenty of hype and excitement during the summer as Arsenal completed the signing of Manchester United striker Alessia Russo. The 24-year-old, one of England's heroes from their successful Euro 2022 campaign, was available on a free transfer following the expiry of her contract, and the club moved quickly to persuade Russo to move to north London.

Russo's finishing ability and overall athleticism have been widely praised by the media and supporters, but one thing that's really caught Smith's eye is her ability with the ball at her feet and back to goal.

"Alessia is a fantastic player. She was for Manchester United hence Arsenal trying to get her as early as possible to come to the club," Smith says of Arsenal's number 23. "Playing for England you saw how lethal she could be in front of goal. On a daily basis she wants to learn, she asks questions, she's very humble, she's one of the hardest working players on the team, she covers a lot of ground in training sessions, she's very energised.

"Her hold-up play has really surprised me, I knew she was good at it, but seeing it on a daily basis, the way she holds the ball up and twists and turns to spray the ball out wide - there's not too many players in world football that are as good as her at that.

"She's going to improve too, she's still young and there's a lot more to come from her in the coming seasons at Arsenal."

Russo is a regular feature of Sarina Wiegman's England side, who remain one of the very best sides in the world after reaching the Women's World Cup final in Australia. The legacy of the current group of players is undeniable, but some have been critical of the reduced level of access to the players and the inability of fans to be able to speak with their heroes after a game.

On whether the criticism is justified, Smith says: "I think it's a bit harsh because there's so many more fans coming to the game now, and before all eyes were on the game the players would stay behind and sign everybody's piece of paper or program or take a picture, but there's thousands there now so you can't really expect the players to stay out for two hours after a game.

"They have to get back in, recover, eat, and get back home as soon as possible to help them with their recovery.

"They do what they can after the game, and some people are going to be upset with that but you can't please everybody. They do their bit after the game and if someone's upset they shouldn't really take it out on the players, it's their job. They have to spend a little bit of time with the fans and then go back in.

"It's a good problem to have because it means that people care about the women's game and they want to see their idols, but the players have to get down the tunnel as soon as possible. You see that in the men's game, they don't stay behind, they're straight down the tunnel, but I think women's football has been a little bit different over the years as they've had that connection with the fans and the fans want more, but the players can't give it - they need to be back to recover."

Smith has also been included as the first female British ICON in EA Sports' new video game, EA Sports FC 24, which continues the expansion of the franchise and is another step towards a more level playing field for all.

"It's a really surreal moment," Smith admits about her inclusion. "I think for so many years I've seen this game, I've played this game, but never really felt a good identity towards it because it was only male players. Now we have female players, icons, legends in the game and I think it's brilliant for the world of football to see women play in football and we just call it football."

Kelly Smith is the first female British ICON in EA SPORTS FC 24, which is available to purchase now. For more info visit: htts://www.ea.com/en-gb/games/ea-sports-fc/fc-24/buy

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