Jill Scott: England midfielder 'will avoid altercations' in World Cup
Last updated on .From the section Women's Football
| Women's World Cup: France v England |
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| Venue: Moncton Stadium, Moncton Date: Tuesday 9 June, kick-off 18:00 BST |
| Coverage: Live on BBC Two and Online, on mobile, the BBC Sport app and Connected TV. Live commentary on BBC radio 5 live, live text commentary online. |
England midfielder Jill Scott says she will be running away from any Women's World Cup altercations after recently headbutting an opponent.
The 28-year-old Manchester City player received the first red card of her career and was banned after clashing with Arsenal's Jade Bailey in April.
"If you see any confrontations you'll see me running in the complete opposite direction," said Scott before England's opener against France on Tuesday.
"I'm confident it won't happen again."
Scott added: "It was a tough lesson to learn, but I'd rather it came at that point than at a big tournament."
Scott, who has 91 caps and is known as a jovial character off the pitch, says a lack of competitive action has not hampered her preparation for the tournament.
She missed three Manchester City matches through suspension and only returned to action in England's 1-0 friendly loss to hosts Canada on 30 May.
"It's an action that I do regret but if anything I probably feel in better condition because I could work on things I needed to and prioritise England in that time," she said.
"The way you get judged off the pitch sometimes isn't always how you are on it. Yeah, I'm laughing and joking off the pitch but I also know I'm highly competitive when it comes to game time. And probably it just edged slightly one way that time."
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England face France in Moncton on Tuesday having been beaten by them in their last two major tournaments, with Scott involved in both matches.
In the 2011 World Cup quarter-final against France she scored in a 1-1 draw before England lost on penalties. She also came on as a substitute when England, then under the management of Hope Powell, were sent home from Euro 2013 after a 3-0 mauling by Les Bleus.
But under new boss Mark Sampson, Scott says she does not feel nervous about facing a side which are third in Fifa's rankings and are being heavily tipped to win their first World Cup.
"You can always draw on past experiences," Sunderland-born Scott added. "A lot of people have asked us about 2011 but at the same time a lot can happen in four years - new manager, new tactics, new players - so it's kind of eclipsed the past."
Scott has also welcomed Sampson's decision to privately name his team two days in advance of the game, a policy which changed after players spoke to the 32-year-old manager.
Previously Sampson, who will be embarking on his first major tournament, chose to inform his players closer to a game.
"I think it's better to know because whether you're playing or not you have to go with it emotionally and get your head round it," Scott said.
"Knowing the team earlier will help the girls get into a better, more positive mental state."
