The 35-year-old is finishing on a high, having won Euro 2022 with England this summer, the highlight of a 16-year international career. She made her England debut in 2006 and played 161 times for her country. Only Fara Williams has more appearances with 172. “I may be saying goodbye to football, but we’re going to make this a celebration,” the hugely popular midfielder said in a farewell piece for the Players’ Tribune. “No sad faces!! We had too much fun for tears.” The news comes just a day after another Euro 2022 winner, Ellen White, said she would hang up her boots after England’s successful summer and Scott followed suit. Scott’s decision comes as no surprise as the 35-year-old has been without a club since leaving Manchester City. Scott added: “Maybe it’s because I’m from Sunderland, but two things have always been true for me: I’ve always been stubborn and I’ve always loved football. It’s been in my blood since I was five years old. I saw a bunch of boys playing in the schoolyard and I went straight up to them and said the four magic words…. Can I play too?’ Scott is one of the most respected and influential players in England history after an international career spanning 16 years. As well as winning Euro 2022, she finished third at the 2015 World Cup and was a losing finalist at the 2009 European Championships. She played in 10 major tournaments, including two Olympics for Great Britain. Jill Scott (right) celebrates scoring against Argentina at the 2007 World Cup with Farah Williams, the only person to have won more England caps. Photo: Paul Gilham/Getty Images Scott also made her mark at club level, having moved to Sunderland before moving to Everton in 2006. She spent seven years on Merseyside and a further eight at Manchester City, although she lost her starting place towards the end and was loaned out. Everton and then to Aston Villa. He won the WSL once, the WSL Cup three times and the FA Cup four times. A hugely popular player among his team-mates, Scott was described by former England manager Phil Neville as “happy”. She was credited with bringing “a bit of sass to the team” and Scott’s former team-mate Carly Telford said last year: “She will never get the praise she deserves. He’s so selfless, he’ll do anything for the team.” England manager Sarina Wiegman was one of many to pay tribute to Scott, saying: “I have to congratulate Jill on a very special career. I’m so glad she was able to end on such a positive note. It will be hard to imagine an England team without her as she has been an icon of the team for so long. I respect her decision, but we will certainly miss her positive influence on and off the field. Subscribe to Moving the Goalposts Informative, passionate, entertaining. Subscribe now to our weekly roundup of women’s football. Privacy Notice: Newsletters may contain information about charities, online advertising and content sponsored by external parties. For more information, see our Privacy Policy. We use Google reCaptcha to protect our website and Google’s Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply. “To be able to play at the highest level for so long shows what a good player Jill has been and her story is a positive example that others will continue to follow. She still has a huge amount to offer, so I hope she doesn’t get lost in the women’s game in the future – whatever that role is. She is a very special person and although it was only for a short time, I feel privileged to have had the opportunity to work with her.” A pioneer of women’s football and a great team player. @JillScottJS8 congrats on a great career, nice to meet you. Kind of glad there won’t be more tackles during ‘friendly’ kickabouts… W https://t.co/GTWONnSSXg — The Duke and Duchess of Cambridge (@KensingtonRoyal) August 23, 2022 The Duke of Cambridge also congratulated Scott on her career, joking that he wouldn’t miss her ‘tackles’. William wrote in a personal tweet: “Pioneer of women’s football and a great team player. JillScottJS8 congrats on a great career, nice to meet you. A bit pleased that there won’t be any more tackles during ‘friendly’ legs… W”.
