London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Sunday, Oct 26, 2025

England's second-most capped player Scott retires

Manchester City and England midfielder Jill Scott has announced her retirement from football.

The 35-year-old played in 10 major tournaments, including two Olympics with Great Britain, and helped England win Euro 2022.

Scott made her England debut in 2006 and is second on their all-time list of most capped players with 161.

She began her career with hometown club Sunderland and played for Everton before joining City in November 2013.

"I'm so in love with the game," Scott said in a video for The Players' Tribune

. "I have been ever since kicking a ball at the age of five. I'll forever be in love with the game."

She added: "If I could say one thing to football, it would be just a massive thank you. It's been the biggest part of my life."

England and Manchester City team-mate Ellen White, 33, also announced her retirement this week, with coach Sarina Wiegman set to name her squad for England's final 2023 World Cup qualifiers on Wednesday.

Scott headed in an extra-time winner against the Netherlands to send England into the Euro 2009 final against Germany, where they lost 6-2.

She then came off the bench and played an integral part as the Lionesses avenged that defeat at Wembley this summer to win their first major trophy, with Scott used as a substitute in four of England's six games.

The midfielder scored a memorable long-range goal as England were knocked out of the 2011 World Cup quarter-finals by France, helped the Lionesses win a bronze medal at the 2015 World Cup and was named among the 10 players who 'dared to shine' at the 2019 World Cup, where England finished fourth.

She was named captain as she won her 150th cap last year, in a 6-0 friendly win over Northern Ireland, and ends her career with a total of 27 goals from 161 games for England, plus one from nine for GB.

In 2019, the midfielder said it felt "really surreal" to be made an MBE on the New Year Honours list for her contribution to the sport.


After spending part of last season on loan at Aston Villa, Scott confirmed in May that she would be leaving Manchester City when her contract ended in June.

She won one Women's Super League title, three FA Cup and three League Cup winners' medals with City, and also won the FA Cup once during seven years at Everton.

Scott has been invited to return to City's Academy Stadium for a game this season to be officially honoured and celebrated for her services to the club, for whom she made more than 150 appearances.


'Trailblazer', 'legend' and a 'friend for life' - tributes to Scott


Scott's Manchester City and England team-mate Alex Greenwood tweeted that the midfielder was "a true legend".

"Unbelievable team-mate & a friend for life," defender Greenwood wrote. "Thank you for everything you have given to the game, a true legend!! Happy Retirement Champ."

Former club Everton said Scott was a "Trailblazer. Club legend. European Champion", while ex-Toffees goalkeeper Neville Southall called her an "outstanding person."

England cricket captain Heather Knight congratulated Scott on her "unbelievable career" and added that the fans would miss her.

Sunderland, where Scott started on the path to football success, wrote: "Mackem, European Champion, Legend. The best of us."


'Scott always well-loved within the game'

Analysis

BBC Sport's Emma Sanders:

Scott has always been well-loved within the game for her fun and playful character but her ability as a footballer has never been in doubt.

Her experiences with England, numerous major tournaments, individual records and lists of domestic achievements paint a good picture of her success.

When looking back at some of the most pivotal moments in English women's football, Scott was usually at the centre of it as one of the country's most high-profile stars.

She was a care-free person off the pitch and on it she displayed unnerving composure and a relentless desire to work hard.

Her tall figure was easily recognisable and her ability to maintain balance and skilfully keep possession was hugely impressive for someone of her height (5ft 11in).

Scott joins fellow history-maker White, who also announced her retirement yesterday, as legends of English football and many will hope her presence in the game continues.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Tesla Unveils Vision for Optimus V3 as ‘Biggest Product of All Time’, Including Surgical Capabilities
Francis Ford Coppola Auctions Luxury Watches After Self-Financed Film Flop
Convicted Sex Offender Mistakenly Freed by UK Prison Service Arrested in London
United States and China Begin Constructive Trade Negotiations Ahead of Trump–Xi Summit
U.S. Treasury Sanctions Colombia’s President Gustavo Petro over Drug-Trafficking Allegations
Miss USA Crowns Nebraska’s Audrey Eckert Amid Leadership Overhaul
‘I Am Not Done’: Kamala Harris Signals Possible 2028 White House Run
NBA Faces Integrity Crisis After Mass Arrests in Gambling Scandal
Swift Heist at the Louvre Sees Eight French Crown Jewels Stolen in Under Seven Minutes
U.S. Halts Trade Talks with Canada After Ontario Ad Using Reagan Voice Triggers Diplomatic Fallout
Microsoft AI CEO: ‘We’re making an AI that you can trust your kids to use’ — but can Microsoft rebuild its own trust before fixing the industry’s?
China and Russia Deploy Seductive Espionage Networks to Infiltrate U.S. Tech Sector
Apple’s ‘iPhone Air’ Collapses After One Month — Another Major Misstep for the Tech Giant
Graham Potter Begins New Chapter as Sweden Head Coach on Short-Term Deal
Ecuadorian President Daniel Noboa Alleges Poison Plot via Chocolate and Jam
Lakestar to Halt External Fundraising as Investor in Revolut and Spotify
U.S. Innovation Ranking Under Scrutiny as China Leads Output Outputs but Ranks 10th
Three Men Arrested in London on Suspicion of Spying for Russia
Porsche Reverses EV Strategy as New CEO Bets on Petrol and Hybrids
Singapore’s Prime Minister Warns of ‘Messy’ Transition to Post-American Global Order
Andreessen Horowitz Sets Sights on Ten-Billion-Dollar Fund for Tech Surge
US Administration Under President Donald Trump Reportedly Lifts Ban on Ukraine’s Use of Storm Shadow Missiles Against Russia
‘Frightening’ First Night in Prison for Sarkozy: Inmates Riot and Shout ‘Little Nicolas’
White House Announces No Imminent Summit Between Trump and Putin
US and Qatar Warn EU of Trade and Energy Risks from Tough Climate Regulation
Apple Challenges EU Digital Markets Act Crackdown in Landmark Court Battle
Nicolas Sarkozy begins five-year prison term at La Santé in Paris
Japan stocks surge to record as Sanae Takaichi becomes Prime Minister
This Is How the 'Heist of the Century' Was Carried Out at the Louvre in Seven Minutes: France Humiliated as Crown with 2,000 Diamonds Vanishes
China Warns UK of ‘Consequences’ After Delay to London Embassy Approval
France’s Wealthy Shift Billions to Luxembourg and Switzerland Amid Tax and Political Turmoil
"Sniper Position": Observation Post Targeting 'Air Force One' Found Before Trump’s Arrival in Florida
Shouting Match at the White House: 'Trump Cursed, Threw Maps, and Told Zelensky – "Putin Will Destroy You"'
Windows’ Own ‘Siri’ Has Arrived: You Can Now Talk to Your Computer
Thailand and Singapore Investigate Cambodian-Based Prince Group as U.S. and U.K. Sanctions Unfold
‘No Kings’ Protests Inflate Numbers — But History Shows Nations Collapse Without Strong Executive Power
Chinese Tech Giants Halt Stablecoin Launches After Beijing’s Regulatory Intervention
Manhattan Jury Holds BNP Paribas Liable for Enabling Sudanese Government Abuses
Trump Orders Immediate Release of Former Congressman George Santos After Commuting Prison Sentence
S&P Downgrades France’s Credit Rating, Citing Soaring Debt and Political Instability
Ofcom Rules BBC’s Gaza Documentary ‘Materially Misleading’ Over Narrator’s Hamas Ties
Diane Keaton’s Cause of Death Revealed as Pneumonia, Family Confirms
Former Lostprophets Frontman Ian Watkins Stabbed to Death in British Prison
"The Tsunami Is Coming, and It’s Massive": The World’s Richest Man Unveils a New AI Vision
Outsider, Heroine, Trailblazer: Diane Keaton Was Always a Little Strange — and Forever One of a Kind
Dramatic Development in the Death of 'Mango' Founder: Billionaire's Son Suspected of Murder
Two Years of Darkness: The Harrowing Testimonies of Israeli Hostages Emerging From Gaza Captivity
EU Moves to Use Frozen Russian Assets to Buy U.S. Weapons for Ukraine
Europe Emerges as the Biggest Casualty in U.S.-China Rare Earth Rivalry
HSBC Confronts Strategic Crossroads as NAB Seeks Only Retail Arm in Australia Exit
×