Alex Scott was 'deeply in love' with fellow England star

Alex Scott has told how she was "madly and deeply in love" with fellow former England footballer Kelly Smith.

The 'Football Focus' presenter has written about the romance in her new memoir, 'How (Not) To Be Strong', but admitted she was initially unsure about whether to pen a chapter about the relationship.

She said: "I went back and forth on whether I’d actually be writing the chapter.

"But then it was one of those moments, I’m writing this book and I want to tell everything."

Alex later realised she would be "cheating" her fans if she didn't include it in her book, insisting it "needed to be in there".

She added to the Daily Mirror newspaper: "I thought I’d be cheating you all if I didn’t put that in there. And for me, it’s like that first love story, I fell madly and deeply in love. And yes, there’s that heartbreak and those things, but it’s a huge part of my life and I wouldn’t go back and change that.

"Because that feeling of love and that excitement and what it gives you, it needed to be in there."

Alex and Kelly - who now has two children with her wife, management consultant DeAnna Dobosz - both signed for Arsenal in 2005.

They went on to both join US team the Boston Breakers in 2009, before they re-joined the Arsenal team in 2012.

Alex recently admitted she has been "single for a while now".

She told The Times newspaper: "I’ve been single for a while now, and I think that’s because I needed to be.

"There were patterns in my relationships that I knew were not healthy.

"I understand myself more now. Before I always had these walls up because I was trying to protect myself and protect people around me.

"Now I’m ready to let them all down. I’m ready to be loved."