Former Lioness Alex Scott has opened up about her relationship with teammate Kelly Smith, confirming for the first time that they had a romance.
The TV pundit and former footballer, 37, who played alongside Kelly, 43, during their time with England and Arsenal, has written a memoir in which she takes a candid look back at her life, including her “first love” Kelly. Speaking at a London book launch for How (Not) To Be Strong, Alex said she almost left out the chapter which details their “love story,” but in the end felt it would have been “cheating” to do so.
She said: “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.
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“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.”
Sources close to Alex have revealed she has been in relationships with men and women but “doesn't label herself as anything,” adding: “This isn't her big coming out story but was a chapter in her life that she wanted to include in her book because it had such an impact on her.”
A largely private Alex keeps details of her love life close to her chest, but recently shared she was single and ready for love. Speaking to The Times, she 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. I understand myself more now. 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.”
Elsewhere in the memoir, Alex recalls how Kelly – who at the time was in the midst of a battle with alcoholism – helped her deal with demons that formed after her traumatic upbringing. The former England teammates both signed for Arsenal in 2005 before transferring to play in the US women's league for the Boston Breakers.
They subsequently returned to the UK in 2012 when the GB women’s team was playing in the London Olympics. Kelly has been married to DeAnna Dobosz since 2016, with whom she shares two children.
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