Born in Hull, East Riding of Yorkshire, Russell began his career as a trainee at Hull City.[1] He made his first-team debut after coming on as a 60th minute substitute in a Football League Trophy match against Port Vale on 22 October 2002, which was lost 3–1.[2] He made his league debut in the Third Division in a 4–1 victory against Kidderminster Harriers on 26 April 2003.[2] He made no appearances for Hull's first team during the 2003–04 season,[3] but helped the reserve team win the East Riding Senior Cup after scoring in the final, which finished 3–0.[4] He was released by Hull in the summer of 2004 after making two substitute appearances for the club, and was signed by League Two club Kidderminster in July 2004 on a two-year contract, whose manager Jan Mølby described him as, "... [having] a tremendous engine and is likely to pop up with a goal or two."[5]
He finished his first season aft Kidderminster with 29 appearances and 2 goals as they were relegated to the Conference National.[6] He received a broken wrist in November 2005 that ruled him out for three months of 2005–06,[7] but made his return after two months when he featured as a 63rd-minute substitute against Altrincham on 2 January 2006.[8] He finished the season with 35 appearances and 2 goals.[8] After making 52 appearances and scoring 6 goals in 2006–07,[9] he signed a new one-year contract with the club, which saw him become their longest serving current player.[10] He picked up a thigh injury that ruled him out of the beginning of 2007–08 and returned to action in a 3–1 victory against Droylsden on 18 September 2007.[11][12] He finished the season with 36 appearances and 6 goals.[13]
He joined York's Conference Premier rivals Tamworth on 17 September 2009 on a one-month loan,[20] after failing to play any matches for York up to that point in 2009–10.[21] The loan was extended until 1 January 2010 in October.[22] He returned to York on 19 December 2009[23] and joined Cambridge United on loan until the end of 2009–10 on 22 January 2010.[24] He made his debut in a 1–0 defeat to Crawley Town on 6 February 2010.[25] He returned to York at the end of the season after making 17 appearances on loan at Cambridge,[25] and manager Martin Ling said Russell would be offered a permanent contract by the club if he was to be released by York.[26] He re-signed for Cambridge permanently on a two-year contract on 10 May.[27] Russell started 2010–11 in fine form for Cambridge, scoring his first goal in the 2–2 home draw against Crawley on 17 August[28] and adding four more to lead the club's goalscoring charts in November.[citation needed]
Russell signed for newly relegated Conference Premier club Lincoln City on 20 July 2011 on a one-year contract after he was made available by Cambridge.[29] He finished 2011–12 with 30 appearances and 1 goal for Lincoln[30] before signing for Alfreton Town on a one-year contract on 13 July 2012.[31] He signed for Conference North club Gainsborough Trinity on a free transfer on 10 January 2013.[32]
^ abWilliams, Mike; Williams, Tony, eds. (2007). Non-League Club Directory 2008. Kingsbridge: Tony Williams Publications. pp. 118–119. ISBN978-1-869833-57-2.
^"Trinity pick up Russell". Non-League Daily. 11 January 2013. Archived from the original on 16 January 2013. Retrieved 11 January 2013.{{cite news}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)