Alex Scott

“Football is for everyone, no matter what background you're from, what age, what level you play at. This is what it's all about: coming out today, having a good time, and getting involved.”

“My mum never once tried to push me into something different, even though there was no way of making a living out of women's football. She supported me because she saw I was happy and that it gave me a focus to not be hanging around on the street.”

“To walk out at Wembley in an England shirt is a big deal for a girl who remembers playing in her local football cage down the park in Poplar with the boys.”

“Football made me want to train and stay disciplined. It kept me away from things like drugs. Young people are faced with the temptation to stray all the time.”

“Being a footballer was about analysing performance, never being satisfied, seeing what lessons you can learn and who you can learn from.”

“The U.S.A. have a 'football arrogance,' which means winning is in their DNA - nothing else is good enough.”

“I was fortunate enough to play in a number of finals, and I can still remember waking with butterflies in my stomach. It is at moments like those you realise why you fell in love with football in the first place.”

“There's always a responsibility as a pundit, whether you're male or female: the way you present yourself, making sure you've got your facts right.”

“I've been in football since I was eight. Of course I know what I'm talking about.”

“No matter what happens to our game, money won't be a motivation for me.”

“In the 2007 World Cup, Kelly Smith went to another level, scoring twice against Japan and dragging the team forward with an infectious enthusiasm. She changed the dynamic, and we all followed her lead.”

“When things don't happen in my life, I believe that I've been pushed into another path for a reason, and there's a bigger picture.”

“We need to give our goalkeepers the same level of training that we've given to our outfield players.”

“I love travelling to the games and doing them pitchside with Gabby Logan.”

“Even when I play in World Cups, I don't look at things like that. It's something that I want to be doing, so why would I put extra pressure on myself? I'm just going to go out there and enjoy it.”

“I played in three World Cups, and I would say that it was the last one that I enjoyed the most.”

“I was an attacking full-back but was told by Hope Powell to just sit back when we played U.S.A. in the 2007 World Cup. It's hard to rein yourself in, but the team comes first.”

“I see I'm changing the game and opening doors for others, from my beginning from the east end of London. It's not a sob story; it made me the person I am today. It's seeing kids from any area or background you're from. There's a chance; you can make it.”

“As a pundit, I have to tell the truth. I think players will respect that. Well, I hope they do.”

“All I know is two wrongs do not make a right. And nobody's perfect; ain't nobody right all the time.”