Jill Scott spoke of the prejudice she faced while trying to break into competitive football as a young schoolgirl during Sunday’s edition of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
During a conversation with Loose Women anchor and ITV newsreader Charlene White and A Place In The Sun presenter Scarlette Douglas, Jill, 35, spoke about the moments in her life that she was most proud of.
The sportswoman said: [I was] playing in the schoolyard with the boys. I literally didn’t realise until a couple of weeks in that I was literally the only girl doing it. But I had loads of energy as a kid.
Opening up: Jill Scott spoke of the prejudice she faced while trying to break into competitive football as a young schoolgirl during Sunday’s edition of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here!
‘Even my grandma said on my Christening day, my legs were like this [mimed kicking] the whole time.
‘My grandma reckons she said, “She’s going to be a footballer” and I was about 4-months-old or something [then].’
While her peers were accepting of her playing football, Jill added: ‘It was the parents, some of the parents from opposing teams.
Let’s talk: During a conversation with Charlene White and A Place In The Sun presenter Scarlette Douglas, Jill spoke about the moments in her life that she was most proud of
Success: Jill triumphed with the England Lionesses at UEFA Euro 2022 over the summer
‘If I beat their precious son, they’d shout stuff at us. Like, “kick her, hack her down…” I’d come off the pitch literally in tears.’
Scarlette, 35, said in the Bush Telegraph said: ‘For some people that could have broken them, but for her, it made her.
‘So things can either make or break you and she took a positive spin on it and she kept going and look how she is.’
Charlene, 42, said her own young daughter is now playing: ‘It’s lovely because there’s so many girls and boys that play because you know the Lionesses are a massive inspiration.’
Tough stat: ‘If I beat their precious son, they’d shout stuff at us. Like, “kick her, hack her down…” I’d come off the pitch literally in tears,’ she said.
Reacting in the Bush Telegraph, Jill said: ‘Along the way I had to put up with a few mean comments from the parents and stuff like that.
‘Now, knowing that her [Charlene’s] young daughter won’t have to face that stuff, she’s on the start of that journey and it can be an amazing one for her.’
Jill added to Charlene and Scarlette of her participation with the England squad which won the UEFA Women’s Euro 2022: ‘The way the fans got behind us… I felt like everybody was supporting us in a positive way.
‘Whereas sometimes for the guys, I do think when a tournament comes around they’re like, “Oh, how they going to do?” and put a bit of a negative spin on it.
‘But I did feel like everybody was supporting us and we’re going to do something special.
‘The guys were so supportive as well. They came and shared their stories about their Euros experience and was like…’
Charlene noted: ‘It’s not a full experience is it though because they’ve never actually, like, won… so… next time the boys have the Euros, presumably the girls will go into their changing room and explain to them how they managed to win it and how they ought to do the same. You now need to be advising them.’
Jill admitted: ‘That win’s going to be iconic for a long time but the biggest thing for me – the medal, I look at it and I have the biggest, cheesiest grin ever – but knowing girls can say, “You know what, I want to be a footballer” and it’s normal, it’s fine.’
The next live episode of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! continues on Monday at 9pm on ITV and ITV Hub.
Source: | Dailymail.co.uk