TWO beaver kits born in Somerset have been named after Lionesses who starred in England's historic Euro 2022-winning campaign.

National Trust rangers at the estate in Exmoor chose to name to newborns Russo and Toone after fans suggested names in a Twitter competition.

Alessia Russo and Ella Toone, who both represent England and Manchester United, played key roles in the Lionesses' European Championship win. 

Russo, 23, topped a fan vote for the best goal of the tournament with her outrageous backheel finish against Sweden in the semi-final at Bramall Lane in Sheffield. 

Toone, 22, scored two Euro goals, including the opener in the final against Germany at Wembley, which the Lionesses won 2-1.

Other players' names suggested in the fan poll were (Chloe) Kelly, (Fran) Kirby, and (Jill) Scott.

Other suggested ‘Lion’ and ‘Ness’, and even ‘Sweet’ and ‘Caroline’ after Neil Diamond's song that became a team anthem. 

Russo and Toone are siblings to Rashford, who was named after Marcus following the men's team's march to the European Championship final last summer. 

Their parents are Grylls and Yogi, who were released at the Holnicote Estate by the trust in 2020.

Somerset County Gazette: Alessia Russo (left) and Ella Toone celebrate after England beat Germany in the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 final at Wembley Stadium. Picture: Danny Lawson, PA WireAlessia Russo (left) and Ella Toone celebrate after England beat Germany in the UEFA Women's Euro 2022 final at Wembley Stadium. Picture: Danny Lawson, PA Wire  

Ben Eardley, project manager at Holnicote, said: “We chose these names as a fitting tribute to the Lionesses win.  

“Over the next few months, we’ll be able to track their development and witness how they can help us with our conservation work, in particular building more resilience into our landscapes to help mitigate the consequences of extreme weather like the drought conditions we are currently experiencing.”

The beavers have built a network of dams at the estate that have helped slow the flow of water and keep the water level “relatively high”, despite the recent high temperatures.

This has helped bring more wildlife to the site, including frogs, reptiles, and moorhens.  

He added: “Developing this type of resilience to our warming climates not only helps wildlife, but holding water in the landscapes ensures there is more water for the surrounding trees and fields.

“These beaver-engineered wetlands also have the potential to help raise local groundwater levels and develop a more resilient river catchment to benefit people too.” 

Ahead of their summer success, Russo and Toone both played in Manchester United's 2-0 win against Bridgwater United a Women's FA Cup game in Somerset.