Ex-Newcastle United trialist granted Notts County leave of absence for mental health

Chesterfield v Notts County – Vanarama National League – Play Off – Final – Wembley Stadium
-Credit: (Image: PA Archive/PA Images)


Notts County striker Cedwyn Scott has been granted a leave of absence from the League Two club to focus on his mental health. The Magpies have pledged their "full support" to Scott, who joined the club from Gateshead in 2022, during his time away from Meadow Lane.

In a statement, Scott said: "This past year has been a difficult one, both from a personal and professional perspective. I look forward to returning to the club as soon as I can – and, while I would appreciate my privacy being respected at this time, in the future I intend to openly discuss the challenges I’ve faced in the hope that this will benefit others in similar situations.

Scott scored the winning penalty in the National League play-off final at Wembley in 2023 but has struggled with a knee injury, making his most recent appearance as a substitute in a 1-0 home defeat to Port Vale earlier this month. County manager Stuart Maynard has given his backing to Scott after he bravely came forward about his personal battles.

"He’s been struggling for a while," he said. "It’s huge credit to himself for coming out and talking about it – it’s huge and it can help others. We know he’s a top, top player and we know he’ll be influential for us when he comes back but there’s no pressure. We’ve got to make sure we support him in the right way and there’s no time scale for us."

Scott had a four-week trial with Newcastle United in November 2020 during his time at Hebburn Town and, while he impressed United coaches, they opted not to make a permanent move, with the striker aged 22 at the time.