Jill Scott appointed chief advisor at Salford City Lionesses
Jill Scott has landed a senior role at David Beckham and Gary Neville’s Salford City as the club steps up its ambitions for the women’s team, reports BritPanorama.
The Lionesses legend has been appointed chief advisor to Salford City Lionesses and will help oversee the technical development of the senior side and academy. Scott will also support the club’s players and coaching staff as Salford attempts to climb through the women’s football pyramid.
The 39-year-old joins a set-up that still features several members of Manchester United’s famous Class of ’92. Beckham and Neville remain part of Salford’s ownership group, while Paul Scholes continues to oversee recruitment at the League Two club. Ryan Giggs, Nicky Butt, Phil Neville, and Scholes were initially involved in the takeover when the former United players acquired Salford in 2014.
Their high-profile investment helped transform the men’s side, elevating them from the eighth tier of English football into the Football League. Salford has now spent eight consecutive seasons in League Two, although their attention is increasingly turning towards developing the women’s operation.
Scott brings considerable experience from a glittering playing career that included spells with Everton, Manchester City, and England. The midfielder earned 161 caps for the Lionesses and was part of Sarina Wiegman’s squad that won the European Championship on home soil in 2022.
She retired shortly after that triumph and has since built a successful media career, appearing regularly as a television pundit. Scott also won I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out of Here! in 2022 and is a contributor to Neville’s Stick to Football podcast. She will now work alongside her former England colleague at Salford as the club targets significant progress on and off the pitch.
Salford City stated that Scott would “play a key role in shaping the technical programme for the Salford City Lionesses and Academy teams while supporting the development of players and coaching staff.” The women’s team was established in 2018 and currently competes in the fifth tier of the domestic pyramid.
Former Manchester United shirt sponsor AIG has also joined the project, becoming the largest minority equity investor in the Lionesses. “I’m incredibly excited to be stepping into this new role, helping to drive the Lionesses forward and achieve our powerful ambitions,” Scott told the club’s website.
“With the backing and knowledge of AIG, and a team of passionate, talented people at Salford, I have no doubt that the years ahead will be some of our most memorable yet!”
Neville welcomed the investment and believes AIG’s involvement can help both Salford teams begin an exciting new chapter. “We are incredibly grateful to AIG for their commitment to Salford City and this amazing investment in the Lionesses,” he said. “We’re fortunate to have the backing of a world-class brand, which will be right behind our Women’s and Men’s teams in their next chapter.”
Salford currently sits 15th in the League Two table, having won two of their five matches so far.
In a landscape where the women’s game is gaining momentum, Scott’s appointment reflects the increasing ambition of not just Salford City but wider women’s football in the UK. As clubs invest more resources and talent, the narrative around women’s sport is shifting — a real reminder of the strides that can be made when passion intersects with purpose.
