“I was very lucky and very grateful to get opportunities in the cup early in my career, and that's why I think it's maybe so special for me as well, because that's really where I started to make a name for myself was in the cups,” he added.
As for the agony, Russell has never been on the winning side in a cup final.
When Dundee United captured the 2009-10 Scottish Cup title with a 3-0 victory over Ross County, he was cup tied while playing on loan with Raith Rovers. Though he didn't contribute to any of the triumphs, Russell still called winning it “an incredible feeling.”
“I think the league is obviously most important,” he said. “But cup competitions have just got such a magical feeling because anything can happen in a one-off game. That makes the cup so special.”
From Scotland to the States
After forging an 11-year career in Scotland, Sporting Kansas City came calling in 2018 – the year after the club lifted its fourth Open Cup. He got some excellent advice from Scottish icon Mo Johnston, who competed for the Kansas club in its first six MLS seasons, recording 31 goals and 28 assists.
“Yeah, Mo was a sort of main instigator,” Russell said about his own move. “It was always a league I was interested in. It was always a league that I watched. I had a few clubs that were interested. It's always about making sure that I made the right choice. Mo definitely helped guide me towards Sporting.
“Once I spoke to Peter [Vermes, long-time head coach and technical director at SKC] everything just seemed great. I fit in really well and never really looked back,” Russell said. “I had some great times here, some hard times as well.
“I'm truly grateful that I landed here,” he added.
Russell, who’s made 14 appearances for the Scottish National Team, might not have the same star-power back home as Johnston, who’s a bonafide Scottish legend. But he has cast his own unique shadow with Sporting KC. He’s the club's second all-time scoring leader ahead of Dom Dwyer and behind only Preki.
Moreover, Captain Vermes didn’t hesitate to name him captain prior to the 2021 campaign.
“He’s shown an incredible amount of leadership,” Vermes said of Russell. “Personality-wise and the way he goes about his business every day, he’s the perfect guy to rely on.”
