Former Man City star Jill Scott gets a statue in her honour

Former Manchester City and England midfielder Jill Scott has had a statue erected in her honour next to the Angel of the North.

The statue unveiling happened just as confirmation came of her new TV role ahead of this summer's World Cup. Scott is set to be the face of the ITV breakfast show's coverage of the upcoming Women's World Cup, as well as becoming a captain on the hit Sky show A League of Their Own.

When she saw the statue for the first time she gasped: "Wow. I can’t believe it. Only important people get statues! It looks incredible. It’s such a proud moment to be back in the North East. To look at a statue like this - I’ve got goosebumps! It’s such a special moment to be here today.”

Talking about her new Good Morning Britain role for the World Cup, Jill added: "The fans were the reason that we brought that Euros trophy home [last year] so I really feel like the fans can make the difference. So with the time difference, hopefully, I can provide a little bit of a connection and a good relationship between the fans and the players.”

The former player has had a colourful career already on TV with punditry across several channels and she recently became the first woman to captain the England side in Soccer Aid since hanging up her boots in a professional capacity post-Euro triumph.

Scott's England career spanned 16 years and 161 appearances, while she also played for City between 2013 and 2021.