Dr Alessia Russo: Manchester United star picks up honour at Canterbury Cathedral | OneFootball

Manchester United’s Alessia Russo who has found herself in the news a lot lately has made headlines again today as she received an honorary doctorate in a ceremony held at Canterbury Cathedral.

Talking to the club media team she said, “It feels amazing, something I never thought would happen, so I’m really honoured to be here.”

She continued, “I’ve got to give a speech as well which will be tough but I’m really excited to be here.”

Russo grew up in Maidstone, not far from Canterbury Christ Church University and alongside her brilliant footballing career has worked hard off the pitch to encourage young girls into the sport.

“Canterbury was a place I used to come to for a lot of different sporting events… to come back here and receive such a prestigious award is really special.”

Making reference to the speech she was about to make, Russo shared, “I’m nervous when I get out on the pitch but once I’ve had my first touch, I’m calm.”

“This stuff is out of my comfort zone but it’s an honour and I’m really excited to see the ceremony itself,” she continued.

In her speech she referred to Euros as “a tournament like no other,” and a time when “all eyes were beginning to see what we could do on the pitch.”

She encouraged her fellow graduates to “leave a legacy in whichever career you choose.”

She also quoted her sporting hero Michael Jordan saying, “You must expect great things of yourself before you can do them.”

To her colleagues at United she concluded, “Hopefully it’ll inspire a couple of people.”

The video published by Manchester United ended with Russo laughing as she confirmed she wouldn’t be changing the name on the back of her shirt to Dr Russo.

The video comes days after a hectic deadline day for Russo which resulted in her staying at United despite record-breaking attempts from Arsenal to lure her away.