Former Lioness Alex Scott has opened up about falling “madly and deeply in love” with her teammate, Kelly Smith, as a young player.
The footballer-turned-sports-presenter shared details about the relationship, and the heartbreak she experienced following their split, in her new memoir How (Not) To Be Strong.
Speaking at a book launch in London, Scott told The Mirror she had considered leaving the relationship out of the book, but felt it would be “cheating”.
“I went back and forth on whether I’d actually be writing the chapter. But then it was one of those moments, I’m writing this book and I want to tell everything.,” Scott explained.
“I thought I’d be cheating you all if I didn’t put that in there. And for me, it’s like that first love story, I fell madly and deeply in love.
“And yes, there’s that heartbreak and those things, but it’s a huge part of my life and I wouldn’t go back and change that.
“Because that feeling of love and that excitement and what it gives you, it needed to be in there.”
Smith later went on to marry DeAnna Dobosz in 2016. The couple have two children.
In an interview with The Times earlier this week, Scott revealed that she is currently single, and that she sometimes struggles in romantic relationships because she finds it difficult to “ask for help”.
“I’ve always had this voice in my head insisting that I can do it alone,” Scott said.
“I’ve been single for a while now, and I think that’s because I needed to be. There were patterns in my relationships that I knew were not healthy.”
However, she also hinted that she is open to finding a new connection.
“I understand myself more now,” Scott explained. “Before I always had these walls up because I was trying to protect myself and protect people around me. Now I’m ready to let them all down. I’m ready to be loved.”
How (Not) To Be Strong is released on Thursday 29 September.
