Jill Scott retirement: England icon reveals plans for next career move

Jill Scott has already set her sights on the next chapter in her career after she announced her retirement from football earlier this week.

The 35-year-old made her professional debut back in 2004 for Sunderland, which led to an iconic career for England and various Women’s Super League clubs.

After almost two decades in the game, Scott wants to give back to the sport that rewarded her with so many years of incredible memories.

“I’d really like to stay within the England setup, maybe working with the younger girls,” the former midfielder told BBC Radio 5 Live.

“I love the coaching side. I probably need to get a bit more organised because I’m terrible with a computer. 

“I’d be on the grass all day just coaching but modern day football, there’s a lot more to it than that. Hopefully some opportunities will come along.”

Scott established her career by not just being a reliable player, but a huge character in the dressing room for both club and country.

In an emotional letter to her fans penned on The Players’ Tribune, Scott revealed the moment she realised the time had come for the curtain to come down on her career.

“You know the last thing I ever did on a football pitch? It was perfectly me,” she said, reflecting on the Euro 2022 Final after England beat Germany to win their first ever major title.

“We had celebrated, the streamers were going off, and I was just sitting there with my medal on the grass for an hour and a half, taking it all in … and I knew, deep in my heart, that this was it. 

“I just sat there and thought:‘Right. If this is it, let’s do one more run.’

“So I grabbed Lotte Wubben-Moy as well as our Sports scientist Martin and I said, ‘You’ve made me do so many box-to-box runs throughout this tournament…