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Jill Scott MBE is a retired professional footballer who was part of England’s 2022 Euro win, amongst other high-level competitions.
Over her 16 years of experience, and 161 England caps, Jill has seen women’s football grow to the level that saw a record crowd of over 87,000 watch their Euro win.
Alongside her football interests, she co-owns a high-profile coffee shop in Manchester with Shelly Unitt called BOXX2BOX.
She is now a popular media personality and soccer pundit, in demand for various corporate panels and Q+A’s.
As a child, Jill Scott was a keen long-distance runner, running for the Sunderland Harriers where she won the North of England’s Under-13 Cross-Country title and the Junior Great North Run. At the same time, she was a member of Bolden Gils Football Club. But at age 13, she had to choose between running and football, eventually choosing the latter. Not content with just playing, Jill went on to study sport at University.
Jill Scott began her professional club career at Sunderland, before moving to Everton and then Manchester City, where she has been loaned to the likes of Aston Villa. A successful seven-year stint at Everton saw them win the FA Women’s Premier League Cup and the FA Women’s Cup. After this, she went on to Manchester City, with whom she would go on to win the Continental Cup trophy in 2014.
Throughout her club career, she was named the Women’s Player of the Month Award whilst at Sunderland, and the FA Tesco Player’s Player of the Year Award whilst at Everton. She would go on to be part of teams that won the likes of the Premier League Cup in 2007-08, the FA Women’s Cup in 2009-10, FA WSL Cup in 2014, 2016 and 2018, FA WSL in 2016, FA Women’s Cup in 2016-17, 2018-19, 2019-20.
At an international level, she was part of the team who placed 3rd in the 2015 World Cup, was the runner-up in the 2009 Euro – and went on to win it in 2022 – the Cyprus Cup in 2009, 2013 and 2015, and the Arnold Clark Cup in 2022.
She is probably best known for being an integral part of England’s national team. She was the captain of the Under 19 side, and made her senior debut in 2006. She played at the 2007 World Cup, 2009 UEFA Women’s European Championships – making it to the final – the 2011 World Cup, and of course the 2022 Euro Championships where she played with the likes of Fran Kirby, Leah Williamson, Millie Bright and Ellen White. She also represented Great Britain at the 2012 London Olympics and 2020 Tokyo Olympics.
In August 2022, just one month after winning the Euro, Jill announced her retirement; at the time she was England’s second-most capped international footballer (men and women).
Outside of her active playing career, Jill was appointed a digital media ambassador for the Women’s Super League where she raised awareness of women’s sport, is a big advocate for LGBTQ+ matters, and she co-owns a coffee shop with her partner Shelly in Manchester called BOXX2BOXX – she was even seen working there just days after winning the 2022 Euro Championships.
After retiring in 2022, Jill entered the jungle, winning the 22nd series of I’m a Celebrity…Get Me Out of Here, becoming the first LGBTQ+ woman to win the show. Her fellow campmates included actors Owen Warner, and Sue Cleaver, presenters Charlene White, Scarlette Douglas, and Chris Moyles, singer Boy George, comedians Babatúndé Aléshé, and Seann Walsh, as well as Olivia Atwood, Mike Tindall, and Matt Hancock.
– Football at a Club and International Level
– Women’s Rights
– LGBTQ+
– Business/Entrepreneurship
– Leadership and Teamwork
– Keeping Motivation
– Performing Under Pressure
Whilst Jill is happy to adapt her speeches to any event, she often presents her keynote ‘Success is the Problem – Failure is the Formula’. Based on her impressive footballing experiences, Jill provides a formula on how to deliver sustainable success in the workplace and in personal life.
She has played a hugely influential part in our women’s team’s various successes during that time, but has also endeared herself to everybody at the club as well – she is one of football’s finest characters and we’re incredibly proud to have had her represent us for such a length of time.
Manchester City