Jill Scott crowned again winning 'Personality of the Year' at North East Football writers awards

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The Sunderland Lioness was named North East Personality of the Year at an awards ceremony in Durham on Sunday 5 March. Credit: PA

Jill Scott has been recognised by the North East Football Writers' Association.

The Sunderland Lioness was named North East Personality of the Year at an awards ceremony in Durham on Sunday 5 March.

The accolade, in association with the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, is given in recognition of the work done by Scott to use her status in the footballing world, to benefit the local, and wider community.

By winning, she follows in the football footsteps of Alan Shearer, former teammate Steph Houghton and Jermain Defoe.

Jill is England's second most-capped player and played a key role in the Lioness' team that inspired the nation by winning last year's Euros.

She is an ambassador for the Red Sky Foundation and the charity Variety. She was awarded an MBE in the Queen's 2020 New Year Honours list in recognition of services to women's football and has gone on to become a well-known TV personality, taking the crown to become 'Queen of the Jungle' in the 2022 series of I'm A Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.

Speaking to ITV News Tyne Tees after the awards ceremony, Jill said: "It is such an honour. I still can't believe it to be honest, looking at the people who have won this award before, Niall Quinn, Alan Shearer, such main figures of football, so to have my name on this award, it is such a special night.

I'm absolutely thrilled to be receiving this award and it means a lot to me to be recognised like this in my native North East."To have my name sat alongside a list of such prestigious former winners is amazing."

Jill received her award at the North East Football Writers' Association Awards night, which celebrates the best of North East football.

The awards are voted for by football writers across the region.

The event at Ramside Hall Hotel in Durham was raising funds for the Sir Bobby Robson Foundation, which helps find more effective ways to detect and treat cancer.Colin Young, Secretary of the North East Football Writers' Association said the decision to award Jill was unanimous: "She's an inspiration to footballers, young and old, male and female, and her passion for the game, her humour and positivity, makes her a tremendous role model and representative of this region.

"We're extremely proud to name her the North East Football Writers' Association Personality of the Year."

Other recipients this year include Sunderland goalkeeper, Anthony Patterson, who has been named Young Player of the Year for 2022.

Newcastle's Brazilian midfielder, Bruno Guimarães, was named Men's Player of the Year, while Durham's Sarah Robson was once again voted Women's Player of the Year.