Jill Scott

Jill Louise Scott (born 2 February 1987) is an English former professional footballer who played as a midfielder. The FIFA technical report into the 2011 Women's World Cup described Scott as one of England's four outstanding players; "[an] energetic, ball-winning midfielder who organises the team well, works hard at both ends of the pitch and can change her team's angle of attack." At , Scott is nicknamed "Crouchy" after male international footballer Peter Crouch, who towers over his fellow players to a similar degree. After leaving home town club Sunderland for Everton in 2006, she contributed to the Blues' FA Women's Premier League Cup win in 2008 and FA Women's Cup victory in 2010. On the individual level, Scott was voted 2008 FA Players' Player of the Year and 2011 FA International Player of the Year. Following her retirement from football in 2022, Scott went on to win the twenty-second series of I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here! and was crowned "Queen of the Jungle". Early life Scott grew up in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, and attended Monkwearmouth Comprehensive School. A keen long-distance runner, Scott ran for Sunderland Harriers, winning the North of England Under-13 cross-country title and the Junior Great North Run, whilst playing football for Boldon CA girls' team. At the age of 13, she had to decide between football or running, and chose to concentrate on playing football. Future England teammates Steph Houghton and Demi Stokes also played for Boldon; as part of the "Where Greatness Is Made" campaign, plaques honouring Stokes and Scott were installed at the club in 2022.