‘I Am Proving To Young Girls That There Is Space For Them In What Has Been A Very Male-Dominated Industry’

‘Inspiring others has not really been a driving force throughout my life or career,’ says Alex Scott, legendary former Arsenal right-back and now BBC pundit, ‘this has been a by-product of my journey and is always very flattering to hear.’

Alex may not have set out to encourage more women into football, but as one of the most successful footballers of all time, and the first woman pundit to be taken to a World Cup by the BBC last year, she has broken the glass ceiling in the sport and in turn paved the way for many women. Her success, she says, is built on her confidence and trusting her own judgement above others.

‘I think your own confidence can be the biggest roadblock, having belief in yourself can drive you as far as you want to go,’ she tells me, ‘as long as I know I can, the world is my oyster. One person’s opinion is just one person’s opinion, and whilst I respect what people have to say, only my own judgement of myself has importance. At times, those that speak negatively are those that are too fearful to make the moves you are making.’

It's advice we would all me amiss to take, given her rap sheet. The woman has not only proven her talent on the pitch, capped 140 times and scoring 12 goals for England, but broken records in the pundit industry- becoming the first female pundit ever on Sky Sports’ Super Sunday. But her most recent high was actually when she took a group of young people to an Arsenal match at The Emirates from the charity Football Beyond Borders.

‘For many it was the first time they had been to a game,’ she says, ‘that one invite may have completely adjusted their mindset as to what is possible for them in the future. They sat in the hospitality box with me, met one of the team’s star players, went pitch side…it was a day they will never forget, and neither will I.

‘Football is the most universal language we speak and seeing these young people from all races, sex, age groups coming together to share this experience was wonderful,’ she continued, ‘I am in a very lucky position to offer opportunities like that one just through my involvement in the game.’

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For young girls in particular, Alex hopes to her success proves ‘that there is space for them in what has been a very male-dominated industry.’ And she’s not anywhere near done. ‘I am always thinking about what is next,’ she says, ‘how can I use my platform to make a difference.’

So, what is next? Well, simply doing the job she’s always done. As she says, her ability to inspire is in her own success against all odds. ‘I think people are able to relate to my journey as they have seen me striving for and ultimately achieving my own goals and aspirations,’ she says, ‘they have seen me face obstacles, they have seen the lows and they have witnessed me come through them successfully. At the end of the day I am still the girl from the East End of London and I am very proud of that.

Alex is featured in our list of 10 Women Who’ve Changed The Conversation This Year. To mark International Women’s Day, Grazia and The Female Lead Have teamed up to celebrate the heroines who’ve made a difference to our everyday lives - even if you don’t know their name yet. We’ll be featuring different amazing women from the list every day online, and check out Grazia magazine on Tuesday 5th March for our list in full…