Alex Scott has said it is down to Maya Jama to decide whether she swaps her Soccer Aid presenting duties for playing on the pitch at the charity football tournament in the future.
The 38-year-old former professional footballer will return to Soccer Aid as a pitch-side presenter along with Dermot O’Leary for 2023.
Speaking to the PA news agency about whether she would ever feature on the players’ line up for Soccer Aid, Scott said: “Well, this is the thing. Maya Jama threw it out there last year, and I said to her straight away: ‘If you’re going to step on the pitch, I will step on the pitch’, and we had a bit of a bet about it.
“But then she goes and gets the Love Island job!
“So, whether we do a little thing where I take her through a training session or take her to Arsenal or something, or maybe next year it might not clash.
“If Maya does it, if she steps on that pitch, I’ll step on that pitch for a little cameo.”
She added: “But I like being on this side, I absolutely love the role that I’m in, so for me it’s hard because people are always like: ‘You should play!’ But everyone’s seen my transition and seen the role that I’m in and I absolutely love being on this side and being alongside Dermot.”
Jama, 28, who took over from Laura Whitmore as the host of Love Island last year, has previously been a Soccer Aid pundit.
It was recently revealed that Lioness Jill Scott will become the first female player to captain Soccer Aid’s England team.
Reflecting on the news, Alex Scott said: “I think over the last couple of years, it’s been great for Soccer Aid to start including females and off the back of the win last year, with the Lionesses, and for Jill to go into the jungle and win, I think it’s just a natural step for her to be involved this year.”
She continued: “It’s becoming that thing now where young boys and girls will be watching Soccer Aid, or during the World Cup, and it’s not even a thing to see a woman now commentating on a men’s match.
“And this isn’t just a men’s Soccer Aid, it’s for everyone to feel a part of, and that’s what we’re showing.”
DJ Joel Corry and rapper Bugzy Malone, Paddy McGuinness and professional footballers Karen Carney, Jermain Defoe, Gary Cahill and Jack Wilshere have also been confirmed for this year’s line up.
Emma Hayes and Vicky McClure will co-manage the England team as singer Tom Grennan, Olympian Sir Mo Farah, comedian Alex Brooker, former footballer and TV presenter Gary Neville, coach Paul Scholes, commentator Eni Aluko and YouTuber Chunkz return.
They will face competition from the World XI team with Olympic sprinter Usain Bolt as captain, former striker Robbie Keane as coach and players including comedian Lee Mack, Dragons’ Den star Steven Bartlett and Love Island winner and presenter Kem Cetinay.
Talking about this year’s line-up, Scott told PA: “I think we’re at a stage where there’s a lot of the Lionesses that are transitioning.
“Like you’ve got all the old ex-pros like Gary Neville and Paul Scholes, there was a generation where they all retired together.
“So I think over the next couple of seasons, when you see more Lionesses retiring, it’s that natural step for them to then come and be a part of Soccer Aid and want to be involved.”
Soccer Aid, co-founded by pop star Robbie Williams in 2006, raises money for humanitarian aid organisation Unicef to help children in need around the world.
The charity match returns to Manchester United’s Old Trafford on June 11.
A family of four can attend the game for just £60 – buy your tickets at socceraid.org.uk/tickets.
The match will air live on ITV1, STV and ITVX.
