Jill Scott, one of England's all-time appearance makers and part of the Lionesses team that won the Women's Euros in July, has retired from football with immediate effect at the age of 35.
Scott scored 27 times in 161 matches for her country, trailing only Fara Williams (172) in the all-time appearances list.
Her announcement comes 24 hours after England team-mate and Lionesses record goalscorer Ellen White announced her retirement from the game.
“I may be saying my goodbyes to football, but we’re going to make this a celebration. No sad faces!! We’ve had too much fun for any tears," Scott told the Players’ Tribune.
“Imagine, if you would have told me that I’d go on to play for England for 16 years?
“If you would have told me that I’d live to see 90,000 people packed into Wembley Stadium for a women’s European final? And that I’d be playing in it? Impossible.”
During what was a hugely successful club career, Scott started out with Sunderland before spending seven and nine years with Everton and Manchester City respectively, winning the Women’s Super League title with the latter and four Women’s FA Cups in total - three with City and one with the Merseyside club.
She has spent most of the past two campaigns on loan at Everton and Aston Villa.
