Former Lioness and Queen of the Jungle Jill Scott to receive Freedom of Sunderland

Jill Scott often speaks of her passion for the city. Credit: PA

The former Lioness and Queen of the Jungle Jill Scott is to receive the Freedom of Sunderland.

Alongside her England teammate Steph Houghton, and Sunderland AFC star Gary Bennett who are also being honoured, she will be awarded it for "significant contributions to the wellbeing and community spirit of Sunderland".

Sunderland City Council will grant the three footballing champions the accolade at a ceremony on Wednesday 8 March.

Jill Scott was a member of the Euro 2022 Lionesses squad that delighted the nation last summer. She recently returned to the North East to open a community pitch as part of the Lionesses Euros legacy.

Former England captain Steph Houghton led the squad in the 2015 FIFA Women’s World Cup and has won more than 100 caps for her country.

Gary Bennett played more than 350 games for Sunderland AFC between 1984 and 1995 and is fifth in the club’s all-time appearance league. He went onto become a stalwart of the Show Racism the Red Card campaign and received an MBE last year for his services to tackling racism in football.

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