Jill Scott has insisted she still has more to achieve after joining Aston Villa on loan from Manchester City until the end of the 2021/22 season.
The relentless midfielder has been a major footballing figurehead for over 15 years and has no intention of slowing down at the age of 34. This this loan away from City will also increase her game time and boost her chances of making the England squad for Euro 2022.
Scott has earned 153 caps for the Lionesses since 2006 and won nine major club trophies in a career spanning 18 years, but insists she is still hungry for more.
“[Still wanting to achieve more] was probably one of the reasons for the move,” Scott told Villa TV.
“Sometimes your age is the way that people identify you, or they’re like: ‘You’re 34 now, are you wanting to slow down?’ But I feel better than ever to be honest, fitness wise.
“We had a young player, Ruby Mace, come to Manchester City at the beginning of this season, and I wanted to have the same attitude as her, the same appetite to get better in order to grow as a person and as a player. I still feel like I can improve and I know that Aston Villa will do that for me.”
Scott has mirrored a move she made last season, when she departed City for Everton on a temporary basis in search of more minutes ahead of selection for the Tokyo Olympics. It proved a shrewd decision and she made the Team GB squad for the Games.
“I’m really excited… what a fantastic club!” ?@JillScottJS8‘s first interview with VillaTV. ?️ pic.twitter.com/8mp2s6seqX
— Aston Villa Women (@AVWFCOfficial) January 25, 2022
With another major tournament looming this summer, Scott has again sought out a loan move to increase her chances of being selected. While last January the midfielder joined Everton – a team operating in the upper echelons of the WSL at the time and who also boasted the added nostalgia factor for Scott – the switch to ninth place Villa is more of a move into the unknown.
Both BBC Sport and the Telegraph reported that there were multiple WSL clubs interested in securing Scott’s services before the England international settled on a move to Villa – and she highlighted the role of manager Carla Ward in persuading her to join the Midlands outfit.
“Massive influence,” Scott replied when asked about Ward’s impact in her move to Villa. “I remember Carla from playing against her when I was at Everton. It used to be a right scrap to be, so I know how hard working she is and how much she wants to win.
“The first thing I said to Carla is: ‘Don’t judge us by my age, I want to get better, tell us if I’m not doing well.’ And she said: ‘Don’t worry about that Jill, I definitely will.’
“When I saw the plans originally when I first spoke to Carla I was blown away by it. “