Former Lioness Jill Scott: ‘Self-doubt is something that I’ve had throughout my career…it never really went away’

Since hanging up her football boots for good, former Lioness Jill Scott has been reflecting on how imposter syndrome hindered her confidence throughout her playing career.

An England legend, Scott surpassed over 150 caps for her country and retired after the incredible high of being part of the women’s team who won the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022 tournament on home soil.

However, despite these impressive accomplishments, the former midfielder from Sunderland admits that she often doubted her abilities on the pitch.

“Now that I’ve retired and I’m fortunate enough that I get to go around and tell my story, I’ve really reflected on the journey and self-doubt is something that I’ve always had throughout my career and, if I’m being completely honest with myself, it never really went away,” reflects the 38-year-old. “I have probably always doubted my ability.

“I was always surrounded by these amazing players and had this imposter syndrome where I was asking myself, am I really good enough to be here?

“Managers and coaches can sometimes put a bit of a ceiling on your ability and I was always told that I was a good runner and I had a good engine, but that made me question my footballing ability.”

However, she learnt how to channel these lingering feelings into something positive.

“I just turned this doubt into telling myself you’ve got to keep working hard to be as good as everybody around you,” says Scott. “I think that’s what kept us in the game and what kept us at the level that I needed to be at.”

Having strong female role models to look up in the England squad helped Scott realise her potential.

“I remember Rachel Brown-Finnis, who went onto play for England in goal over 80 times, told us that there are going to be times when people doubt you, and times when you’re left out of teams, but this is when you just have to focus on yourself and not use up wasted energy,” recollects Scott.

Coaches like Mo Marley also had a big impact on the midfield powerhouse’s career.

“Back in the early days Mo Marley, who was the England under-19s manager and was the manager of Everton when I went to play for them at 18, became a mother figure for me,” reflects Scott. “I moved away from home at such a young age and she was always there if I needed to speak about family and stuff like that.

“I still keep in touch with her now and that’s because of the effort that she put in with me as a person, as well as a player.”

A survey of 1,001 UK adult female football players and 1,000 11-17 year old female football players commissioned by Starling Bank suggests that there’s prevalent need and desire for more female coaches in the women’s game.

The vast majority of players surveyed (85%) said that there’s a national shortage of female football coaches, while 89% revealed they want more female coaches at their club or school.

In addition, 46% of players said having the right coach is one of the biggest factors influencing their involvement in football.

In response to these findings, Scott has joined forces with Starling to spark a surge in female coaching numbers with the launch of the bank’s Kick On initiative offering free kit, coaching vouchers and equipment to more than 300 clubs.

“I have always said that for someone to want to be something, they’ve got to be able to see it,” says Scott. “It has a bit of a knock-on effect. If we can’t see a lot of female coaches, then we’re stopping that next generation from dreaming that they can do it.”

Although Scott ended her career on a huge high, she found big tournaments physically and emotionally draining.

“When the game went full time, I played every minute of the season and then I played every minute of the World Cup. When I got back I was absolutely knackered,” says Scott. “It can have a real mental toll on you, especially being away from home for so long and going through the highs and lows of a tournament.

“I think we were given two weeks off afterwards, and then we were straight back into our football season and I remember just not feeling ready. I kind of just broke down physically and emotionally and I did get a little bit of extra time off.”

At the time, Scott says she thought talking about her emotions would be seen  as a weakness.

“I think the strongest people can go with the emotion a little bit more, but I was always somebody that I didn’t want anyone to see if I was struggling because I felt like it was going to be a weakness,” says Scott. “But I think nowadays society has really created a world where we can talk about things.

“Just because you are feeling sad, it’s not a sign of weakness. It’s actually a sign of strength to be able to talk about it.”

Since retiring from professional football, Scott has been extremely busy taking advantage of all the diverse opportunities that have come her way.

“I’m absolutely loving retirement and I am loving getting involved in campaigns like Kick On that really make a difference for the next generation,” says Scott.

Some of her highlights over the last few years include being crowned the queen of the jungle in 2022 on ITV’s I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here!, launching a weekly Long Story Short podcast with former Lioness Karen Carney and being a regular host on the Stick to Football podcast alongside fellow football legends Gary Neville, Jamie Carragher, Roy Keane and Ian Wright .

“When I played football, I did every single session because I never wanted to let the team down,” says Scott. “But now it’s just me, and I’m just letting myself down and sometimes I really struggle to get off the couch and go for a run.”

Although she has toned down the weight training and running, she has discovered a love for walking.

“I will try to do a 5K walk every day. I always say if you can get out for a walk and get some fresh air, then it’s the best thing for your mind,” says Scott. “Since being a kid, my mum said I was always outside, even in the rain, because I just loved being outdoors. So, it’s really important for me to still get that time outdoors now that I’m not outdoors every day because of work.”

Her advice to anyone approaching retirement is to see it as the next chapter, rather than the end.

“Just think of it as a bit of a shift in your life where you can find something else that you really enjoy and if it makes you smile, just go with it,” advises Scott.

Applications for Kick On 2025 are now closed. Keep an eye on Starling’s social media channels for updates on Kick On 2026!