Alex Scott sought therapy after 'really hard' year from online trolls

Football pundit and Strictly Come Dancing star Alex Scott has revealed a “really hard” year of online trolling has lead her to undergo therapy to help her “communicate with her emotions”.

The former Arsenal and England defender was part of an all-female panel speaking to more than 100 hundred school girls for an International Women’s Day event organised by The Sun.

The newspaper reported that an emotional Scott told the girls: “The past year has been really hard in terms of trolling – it led me to go and seek therapy, to speak about it. And it’s the best thing I’ve ever done.

Read more: Alex Scott: Strictly success has silenced racist trolls

“I would say I’m still on a journey. I’m still in therapy so I’m still learning how to communicate with my emotions more.”

Scott enjoyed an illustrious football career, which included title-winning spells with Arsenal, as well as 140 caps for England and representing Great Britain at the 2012 London Olympics.

With her career drawing to a close, she embarked on a media career, with presenter roles for BBC and Sky Sports, before being taken on as a presenter for men’s Premier League matches as well as the men’s 2018 World Cup.

Scott immediately faced criticism on social media from trolls who targeted her being a woman commenting on men’s football.

The trolling ramped up when her public profile went mainstream with her stint on BBC show Strictly Come Dancing.

Read more: Alex Scott: I won’t dance for the judges

Scott has previously opened up about being the target of online abuse, revealing details to the Mirror.

She said: “I had all of it – for being a woman on TV, for being a woman of ­colour on TV, that I’m ticking a box, death threats.

“I retired from football and then I end up talking about football on TV and everyone says I’m only there because I’m ticking a box because I’m female.

“I had the lot. But I’m still standing.”