Alessia Russo: Lioness will have hometown football pitch named after her

These football hopefuls from Kent were lucky enough to meet one of their heroes on Thursday.

Arsenal and England star striker Alessia Russo paid a special visit to Bearsted Football Club in Maidstone, where she started her playing career at the age of eight.

The club announced plans to build a brand new, state of the art, 3G pitch complete with a new club house and changing facilities.

The new ground will be named for Alessia and a brand new academy to develop the stars of the future will be set up with her support.

Lioness Russo scored two goals against Austria in a 7-2 thrashing last week

The chairman of the club, Jamie Houston told BBC Newsround the club hopes to grow the game for girls in the area.

"We are so proud of Alessia and she has remained so humble even with all her superstardom".

"Her dream is our dream", he added. "She is already a huge part of building the profile of women's sport but to put those dreams into action with the club and the Football Foundation sums up who she is as a person."

The forward, who has recently returned from international duty with the Lionesses, said it was "great to be back" at her former club.

While taking a coaching session and posing for photographs with the young players, she expressed her excitement for the plans.

"A changing room for the girls should be a given at any football club, so we understand there is still a way to go but we are trying to do our best for them.

"Hopefully it won't be long before there are loads more girls' teams at this football club - you don't want to miss a superstar."

Some of the girls she trained said seeing her at the club was "motivational", while another said it was "surreal" to see her in person instead of on the television.