Due to his quiff hairstyle Russell was nicknamed "Rooster" early on in his career;[3] ironically he would lose all his hair in his youth and was bald for much of his playing days.
[4][5] Released by Brighton after an apprenticeship Russell returned to his hometown club Portsmouth but appearances were limited[6] He then moved on to Wrexham during the 1987 close season.
[8] However, he fought his way into the first team at the end of the 1991–92 season and became a cult-hero, scoring several important late goals after coming off the bench as he helped fire Leicester to the play-off final, eventually losing to Blackburn Rovers.
Here, at last, Russell found a permanent home – he was to play nearly 200 more league games for The Robins in a deeper role, eventually being rewarded with a testimonial against Manchester United.
[10] In his second spell at Wrexham, he was best remembered for his winning goal against West Ham in an FA Cup third round replay in the 1996–97 season.