Harriet Scott (footballer)
{{Short description|Irish footballer (born 1993)}}
{{other people|Harriet Scott}}
{{Use Hiberno-English|date=April 2023}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox football biography
| name = Harriet Scott
|fullname = Harriet Archer Scott{{cite web |title=List of Players under Written Contract Registered Between 01/08/2018 and 31/08/2018 |url=http://www.thefa.com/-/media/files/thefaportal/governance-docs/registrations/august-2018.ashx |publisher=The FA |access-date=3 December 2018 |format=PDF}}
| image = Harriet Scott (footballer) Lewes FC Women 0 Birmingham City 0 21 08 2022-595 (52303311389).jpg
| birth_date = {{Birth date and age|df=yes|1993|02|10}}
| birth_place = Reading, England{{cite news |last1=Hannigan |first1=Mary |title=Girls in green: meet the Irish women's soccer team |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/girls-in-green-meet-the-irish-women-s-soccer-team-1.4359522 |access-date=6 November 2020 |publisher=The Irish Times |date=19 September 2020}}
| height = 162cm
| position = Defender
| currentclub =
| clubnumber =
| youthyears1 =
| youthclubs1 = Caversham
| youthyears2 =
| youthclubs2 = Reading
| years1 = 2009–2018
| clubs1 = Reading
| caps1 = 24
| goals1 = 0
| years2 = 2018–2023
| clubs2 = Birmingham City
| caps2 = 85
| goals2 = 1
| nationalyears1 = 2017–2023
| nationalteam1 = Republic of Ireland
| nationalcaps1 = 23
| nationalgoals1 = 0
| club-update = 8 May 2022
| nationalteam-update = 6 September 2022
}}
Harriet Archer Scott (born 10 February 1993) is a doctor and a former professional footballer who played as a defender for Reading, Birmingham City, and the Republic of Ireland national team.{{cite news|last1=Malone|first1=Emmet|title=Harriet Scott enjoying "surprise" return to the Ireland fold|url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/international/harriet-scott-enjoying-surprise-return-to-the-ireland-fold-1.3144505|access-date=24 April 2018|work=Irish Times|date=July 5, 2017}} She was named Women's International Player of the Year by the Football Association of Ireland in 2018.{{cite news |last1=Gallagher |first1=Aaron |title=FAI International Player of the Year Scott signs new deal with Birmingham until 2021 |url=https://www.the42.ie/harriet-scott-birmingham-new-contract-womens-super-league-ireland-womens-national-team-4712061-Jul2019/ |access-date=24 October 2020 |publisher=The42.ie |date=5 July 2019}} A combative left-back, Scott joined Reading at youth level and remained with the Berkshire club when they were promoted into the FA Women's Super League in 2015.
Club career
Scott joined her local club Reading as an eight-year-old and progressed through the club's youth system to debut in the first team as a 16-year-old. She spent some time out of football due to her studies, before returning to Reading and helping them secure promotion to the top-flight FA Women's Super League in 2015.{{cite news |title=Harriet Scott: Reading Women defender signs new full-time contract |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/38921831 |access-date=24 October 2020 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=9 February 2017}}
Scott signed a full-time professional contract with Reading in January 2016.{{cite news|title=Reading women: Melissa Fletcher and Harriet Scott sign new deals|url=https://www.bbc.com/sport/football/35302449|access-date=24 April 2018|work=BBC|date=13 January 2016}} She made seven appearances during the 2016 FA WSL season.{{cite web|title=H. Scott|url=https://us.women.soccerway.com/players/harriet-scott/151372/|publisher=Soccer Way|access-date=24 April 2018}} Reading finished in eighth place with a {{Win–loss record|w=1|l=9|d=6}} record. After signing a new contract with Reading for the 2017 FA WSL season, Scott made eight appearances during the regular season. The team finished in sixth place with a {{Win–loss record|w=2|l=4|d=2}} record.
After leaving Reading, Scott agreed to join Birmingham City ahead of the 2018–19 FA WSL season.{{cite news |title=Harriet Scott: Birmingham City Women sign ex-Reading full-back |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/45196844 |access-date=24 October 2020 |publisher=BBC Sport |date=15 August 2018}} In her first season she was an important player for The Blues as they performed better than expected, compiling a {{Win–loss record|w=13|l=6|d=1}} record to finish fourth in the League.{{cite web |last1=House |first1=Alfie |title=Harriet Scott: The qualified physio on balancing her studies with WSL and international football |url=https://synergysportsmanagement.co.uk/2020/03/11/harriet-scott-the-international-defender-balancing-studies-and-wsl-football/ |publisher=Synergy Sports Management |access-date=24 October 2020 |date=11 March 2020}} She signed a new two-year contract with Birmingham in July 2019.{{cite news |title=Harriet Scott Commits |url=https://www.bcfc.com/news/articles/2019/harriet-scott-commits/ |access-date=24 October 2020 |publisher=Birmingham City F.C. |date=5 July 2019}} Following the departure of the long-serving Kerys Harrop in 2020, Scott was appointed club captain by incoming Birmingham manager Carla Ward.{{cite news |last1=Rendell |first1=Sarah |title=Harriet Scott and Christie Murray named as Birmingham City's captains |url=https://www.newschain.uk/sport/womens-sport/football/harriet-scott-and-christie-murray-named-birmingham-citys-captains-30300 |access-date=24 October 2020 |publisher=Newschain.uk |date=5 September 2020}}
In August 2023, after completing a 5-year medical degree at Keele University and returning from the 2023 Women's World Cup in Australia, Scott retired from professional football,{{cite news |title=Harriet Scott interview: ‘Football is one of the best jobs in the world. So life will feel very odd without it’ |url=https://www.irishtimes.com/sport/soccer/2023/08/18/harriet-scott-interview-football-is-one-of-the-best-jobs-in-the-world-so-life-will-feel-very-odd-without-it/ |access-date=2023-08-26 |publisher=Irish Times |date=2023-08-18}} with the intention of becoming an NHS doctor.{{cite web |title=@HarrietAScott |url=https://twitter.com/HarrietAScott/status/1688544737966374912 |website=Twitter.com}}
International career
=Youth=
In 2010, Scott was included in the Republic of Ireland U-17 squad who were runners-up in the 2010 UEFA Women's Under-17 Championship{{cite news |title=Women's U17 Player Profiles |url=https://www.fai.ie/ireland/news/womens-u17-player-profiles |access-date=25 September 2020 |publisher=Football Association of Ireland |date=18 June 2010}} and quarter-finalists in the 2010 FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup.{{cite web | url=http://www.fai.ie/womens/international-squads/under-17-women/101189-king-announces-21-player-squad-for-fifa-u17-world-cup.html | title=King announces 21 player squad for FIFA U17 World Cup | date=24 August 2010 | access-date=25 September 2020 | publisher=Football Association of Ireland | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140306032835/http://www.fai.ie/womens/international-squads/under-17-women/101189-king-announces-21-player-squad-for-fifa-u17-world-cup.html | archive-date=6 March 2014 | url-status=dead | df=dmy-all }}{{cite web | url=https://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/u17womensworldcup/trinidadandtobago2010/teams/team=1914889/squadlist.html | title=Republic of Ireland – Squad List | access-date=25 September 2020 | publisher=FIFA|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160307063625/http://www.fifa.com/tournaments/archive/u17womensworldcup/trinidadandtobago2010/teams/team=1914889/squadlist.html |archive-date=7 March 2016}} Scott was born in England but eligible to play football for Ireland because three of her four grandparents were Irish. After refusing an under-19 call up in order to prioritise her educational commitments, Scott spent an extended period out of consideration at international level.{{cite news |last1=Farrell |first1=Sinead |title='It was just me being realistic. I wouldn't have been happy sacrificing my education for football' |url=https://www.the42.ie/harriet-scott-republic-of-ireland-3717094-Nov2017/ |access-date=24 October 2020 |publisher=The42.ie |date=26 November 2017}}
=Senior=
Scott made her debut for the Republic of Ireland women's national football team at the 2017 Cyprus Cup in a 2–0 win over Czech Republic.{{cite news|last1=O'Grady|first1=Dave|title=Ireland's new loyal Royal|url=https://www.sportdec.com/app/article-single/17c6hlhe561v61fu7c0mlb7m0i|access-date=24 April 2018|work=sportdec|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180424135940/https://www.sportdec.com/app/article-single/17c6hlhe561v61fu7c0mlb7m0i|archive-date=24 April 2018|url-status=dead}} She became an important national team player under head coach Colin Bell, displaying good form in the unsuccessful 2019 FIFA Women's World Cup qualifying series.{{cite news |title=Scott wins Ireland Player of the Year! |url=https://www.readingfc.co.uk/news/2018/march/scott-wins-ireland-player-of-the-year/ |access-date=24 October 2020 |publisher=Reading F.C. |date=19 March 2018}} Scott was part of the team who successfully qualified for Ireland's first ever major tournament for the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand in 2023. She then represented the Republic of Ireland at the Women's World Cup 2023 in Australia in the summer.
| class="sortable wikitable" style="text-align:center"
|+ Appearances and goals by national team and year | |
| scope="col" | National team
!scope="col" | Year | scope="col"| Apps |
|---|---|
| rowspan="5"|Republic of Ireland
|scope="row"|2017 | 10 |
| scope="row"|2018 | 3 |
| scope="row"|2019 | 6 |
| scope="row"|2020 | 3 |
| scope="row"|2022 | 1 |
| colspan="2"|Total | 23 |
Honours
; Reading
;Individual
- Women's International Player of the Year: 2018{{cite news|title=Shane Duffy and Harriet Scott take top billing at Three FAI International Awards|url=https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/sport/shane-duffy-and-harriet-scott-take-top-billing-at-three-fai-international-awards-833186.html|access-date=24 April 2018|work=Irish Examiner|date=March 18, 2018}}
Personal life
During the 2020–21 FA WSL season, Scott entered her final year of studying medicine at Keele University.{{cite web |last1=McElwee |first1=Molly |title=Harriet Scott on juggling the stress of being a medical student whilst playing for Birmingham City |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/football/2020/09/03/harriett-scott-juggling-stress-medical-student-whilst-playing/ |website=The Telegraph |publisher=Telegraph Media Group |access-date=4 September 2020}} She is a qualified and chartered physiotherapist, and left her full-time position at Royal Berkshire Hospital to become a professional footballer, although she continued to work at the Hospital part-time.{{cite news |last1=Hopes |first1=James |title=Reading FC Women in the spotlight - Harriet Scott |url=https://www.footballinbracknell.co.uk/news/womens-football/24924/reading-fc-women-spotlight-harriet-scott/ |access-date=24 October 2020 |publisher=Football in Berkshire |date=27 September 2016}} During the hiatus in her playing career with Reading, Scott moved to Bristol, attended the University of West England and worked as a physiotherapist for the Wales women's national football team under head coach Jayne Ludlow.{{cite news |title=Scott: I've always been driven to do more |url=https://womenscompetitions.thefa.com/en/Article/Harriet-Scott-260320 |access-date=24 October 2020 |publisher=The Football Association |date=26 March 2020}}
References
{{reflist}}
External links
- {{FIFA player|325660}}
- {{UEFA player|250018081}}
- {{Soccerway|harriet-scott/151372}}
- [http://www.fai.ie/ireland/player/250018081 Harriet Scott] at Football Association of Ireland (FAI)
- {{Twitter|HarrietAScott}}
{{authority control}}
{{FAI Women's Senior International Player of the Year}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Scott, Harriet}}
Category:Reading F.C. Women players
Category:Republic of Ireland women's international footballers
Category:Republic of Ireland women's association footballers
Category:Women's Super League players
Category:Women's association football defenders
Category:Birmingham City W.F.C. players
Category:Footballers from Reading, Berkshire
Category:English people of Irish descent
Category:Women's Championship (England) players
Category:FA Women's National League players
Category:Alumni of the University of the West of England, Bristol
Category:Republic of Ireland women's youth international footballers