England star Alessia Russo has reflected on a 'low point' in her relationship with food and says her weight loss during lockdown in 2020 left her 'not strong enough' to play football at the highest level.
The 24-year-old joined Manchester United in September of 2020 and has had a rapid rise in the game, helping England to victory at the Euros last summer. She's expected to play a significant role once again this year as the Lionesses prepare to go Down Under and compete for the 2023 FIFA Women's World Cup in Australia and New Zealand.
Russo's future remains in the balance following confirmation she will depart the Manchester club upon the expiry of her contract, with Arsenal currently among the favourites to land her signature. However, following the first lockdown in the Covid-19 pandemic only a matter of years ago, the forward faced what she describes as a 'low point' in her relationship with her body and food.
She told Women’s Health, speaking on the struggles she faced with her weight and the the impact it had both on and off the pitch: “In lockdown, it was tough. I was training on my own, I was home and I lost quite a bit of weight. Then I signed for Man United soon after lockdown.
“And within about six weeks, I completely tore my hamstring, (which I) could only relate back to losing a lot of weight because I’ve never had a muscle injury before. I used to track everything (on an app). I know some people still use (it), but...I was at a low point with my food and with my weight.
"I wasn’t strong enough; I wasn’t robust. I thought I looked great... but really, on the football pitch, I wasn’t strong enough to compete."
Russo also highlighted that problematic relationships with food among female athletes is a greater issue than people might think. "There’s a bit of a stigma," she continued.
"Of course, you want to compete and be the best on the pitch, but you want to look a certain way as well. As a lot of young girls (do). I wanted to be skinny and compete at that kind of level. (Now) my body is still a huge priority.
"But, I understand I need to eat a lot more than I thought I did at the start, and now I don’t want to be skinny, I want to be strong. Food plays a huge part in how you feel and how your body reacts."
Russo will fly out to Australia with the Lionesses squad next month ahead of the tournament, which is set to get underway on July 20. England will hope to replicate their success at the Euros last year and improve on their semi-final finish at the World Cup in France in 2019.
