Alex Scott has always been one of the hardest working people in football.
The former Arsenal and England right-back comes from a generation of grafters. Female footballers who were initially unpaid to play, who had full-time jobs alongside their playing careers and for whom the closest thing to a tangible, visible role model was Band It Like Beckham. Who was Jess?
Even as the game blossomed and playing football became a real career path for women in England, Scott doubled her workload by completing a degree in Professional Sports Writing and Broadcasting at Staffordshire University – a course she started after the 2012 Olympics and finished during England’s preparations. for the 2015 World Cup in Canada.
With his thesis handed in and the boots hung up, the graft continues.
“From the age of eight when I signed for Arsenal, my lifestyle was 100 per cent complete,” the Scot said. 90 minutes. “Everyone who knows who I am – I don’t stop!”
The 35-year-old has worked his way up to become one of the most recognizable faces in sports media. She appears regularly on Sky and the BBC, has earned a reputation as one of football’s most insightful, competent and popular pundits, and just as she did in her playing days. , she has blazed a trail for women to follow – achievements she admits she would otherwise not have made. He dreamed of it when he first signed up for his degree.
@socceraid pundit staff ???…
Will we see @MayaJama on the pitch next year? We want to see it, ha!!! pic.twitter.com/lBuCHz1TGL
— Alex Scott MBE (@AlexScott) September 6, 2020
“When I was doing my media degree, it was a dream of mine to get some kind of post-football job in this area,” Scott added. “I remember doing Arsenal TV and thinking ‘Oh, this will be good!’
“So to be sitting here working for the BBC, working for Sky Sports and now moving into entertainment… No I don’t think I would have ever imagined I would be where I am today. Thank you. And do this chatter because I’m so happy that I actually got a job and can still pay my mortgage!”
Just as his hard work from his playing days continued into his media career, Scott’s demeanor and attitude remained the same.
Scott represented Team GB at London 2012/Mike Hewitt/Getty Images.
“I’m not nervous,” she added. “I wasn’t nervous as a player: I was excited, and I think it was adrenaline. I remember the feelings of going out at Wembley or playing the World Cup, it wasn’t nervous it was ‘Oh my God’. I have worked and dreamed of being in this moment, bring it on”.
“And it’s the same in a TV studio. When you hear that countdown or you’re about to go live, I’m like a kid. How lucky are we? There are people who lose their jobs. are sitting and I’m sitting here talking about football, why am I going to panic?
“I’m someone who likes to constantly learn; to try new things that are difficult and that are difficult or people who may doubt me, like ‘Why is she doing this? She can’t do this.’
“And I was like, ‘OK, yeah maybe I can’t but I’m going to try and I’m going to prove to you (that I can).’ to be continued.”
So, @AlexScott is trending? *rolls up sleeves*
140 caps
7 FA Cups
6 league titles
1 @UWCL Cup (winner scored) ✅
1 Fantastic Pandit ✅
? pic.twitter.com/uNqpIT0agR
— Lionesses (@Lionesses) August 26, 2020
Although his profile and status have rocketed over the last year in particular, becoming a household name after appearing on Strictly Come Dancing, Scott has kept his feet firmly on the ground.
She remains close friends with her former Arsenal and England teammates, catching up with them during the lockdown as part of her Scotty Talks Instagram Live series.
“I’m always, as Drake would say, ‘down with my days,'” she laughed. “I was texting Lucy. [Bronze] Tomorrow (after his move to Manchester City). I can’t believe he got 20! I was like: ‘What was that about?’
“She was like: ‘I can’t be a big timer, come and take number 2!’
“I was like: ‘In a men’s game they’ll do it, they’re ruthless’.”
Hosting her own mini-chat show in lockdown showcased Scott’s credentials as a presenter – a path she wants to pursue. He has regularly co-hosted The One Show, and presented 2020 Sport Relief, revealing that it is his main ambition.
Scott is making a name for himself as a pundit and presenter / Mark Atkins / Getty Images
“I never wanted to be a pundit, I always wanted to be a presenter, that was my thing,” Scott admitted “but then people saw how I would break down a game and that was my first one.
“I could have sat in my comfort zone and just been a pundit for the rest of my life, but I was like, ‘No, that’s not what I’m meant to do.’ And who actually made the rule that you have to be one or the other?” ?For me I want to continue to grow as a person and still achieve what I set out to achieve, which is ultimately to become a presenter.
“Everyone thinks my dream job is to take over from Gary Lineker and present Match of the Day, and I’m sitting here and I’m like ‘I don’t know if that’s what I want.’
“I’m not putting a cross in it but actually it’s for me and my role? Things can change in the coming years. How we look at football these days is changing anyway.”
How would you react if @MarcusRashford walked into your room? :joy: @CocaCola_GB #WhereEveryonePlays #HomeEnd pic.twitter.com/lyxZUvzEbu
— Alex Scott MBE (@AlexScott) September 5, 2020
With the football viewing landscape changing as a result of the coronavirus, the Scot has signed up alongside Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, Marcus Rashford, Harry Kane and Jermaine Jenas for Coca-Cola’s Make Your Home the Home End campaign. With football still being played behind closed doors, the campaign encourages fans to turn their homes into home ends.
“I’m never going to jump at every single opportunity, they have to fit with my goals and my values as a person and as a human being,” Scott explained.
“The reason I signed with Coca-Cola is because I love that element; they’re spending that time with the fans. It’s different from how we’re looking at football, so They’re trying to make it fun and engaging so that people are at home, and that sense of home end and people coming together watching football.”