Former Sunderland favourite reflects on England near-miss after 371 league appearances

Former Sunderland favourite Martin Scott remains one of the most familiar names of a pivotal era on Wearside, a player whose career was defined by consistency, courage and a quiet sense of what might have been.

Across 371 league appearances, Scott built a reputation as a dependable left-back and a reliable penalty taker, playing his part in Sunderland’s rise to the Premier League and the club’s move to the Stadium of Light. Yet injuries at crucial moments denied him the England opportunity he felt was within reach.

Speaking candidly to Rob Mason, Scott reflects on his Sunderland years, the near-miss that still lingers, and why Wearside continues to feel like home.

Do you keep a close eye on how Sunderland are doing these days?

Martin Scott: “I love watching them. They play some really good football. I always look at teams to see how fast players recover and note if they are as energetic running towards their own goal as the opposition goal. The Head Coach has got them working their socks off for each other and their recovery runs are fantastic.

“It’s exciting and Sunderland have some really good players. It’s nice to see the fans with big smiles on their faces. When you look at the team that got promoted – and let’s be honest they did absolutely amazing – and look at their performances through League One, up through the Championship and now into the Premier League, those lads deserve massive credit.

“A lot of them have lost their place in the first team, but they are in the squad. They will learn from this season and although they aren’t playing so much, I can see on their faces that they are excited to be part of it, so a real togetherness has been created which is good to see.

“They have time on their side, and they are good players who will learn and develop so much. It looks like the club is going from strength to strength and I’m so delighted for everyone. I want to thank all the fans for their support and to continue it with the current team.”

Do you get to any games as well as watching on TV?

Martin Scott: “I do. My youngest son plays for Aldershot, so I watch a lot of non-league football although he’s just back from injury. I follow him, but when I get the opportunity, I love to come and watch Sunderland.”

How did your own move to Wearside come about?

Martin Scott: “Talking about modern-day players who have moved through the divisions is very similar to what happened to me. I played in the lower leagues for Rotherham and then went to Bristol City in the Championship. When I left it was the right time to make a new start.

The Echo has launched a new WhatsApp SAFC channel to bring the latest news, analysis and team & injury updates directly to your phone. Simply click this link to join our SAFC WhatsApp channel.

“Joe Jordan had taken over and wanted his own players, so I was part of the deal to bring Gary Owers to Bristol. I saw it as a huge step up. I spoke to Denis Smith, and he told me I’d be signing for a massive club if I went to Sunderland. We got promoted to the Premier League the season after I arrived, and then got relegated with 40 points. You look back now, and many teams would love to have 40 points.”

What is your overall feeling about your time at the club?

Martin Scott: “I loved playing for Sunderland. I had an amazing two or three years to start with after Mick Buxton signed me and then Peter Reid took over, and the club had a few years of fantastic success. We created some good memories and moved to the new stadium. I do have some massive regrets in that I got injured at the wrong time. We got promoted to the Premier League, and along with Graeme Le Saux and Andy Hinchcliffe, I was one of very few English left-backs around at the time.

“Kevin Keegan was the England manager, and I was pushing for a call-up. I’d been given the nod that I might be in the next England squad, and then I got injured in an FA Cup tie at Lincoln. I did my ankle and after I returned, I ruptured a tendon in my right leg against Leeds.

“I got operated on, but it didn’t go well and the tendon got too tight and it had to be re-done. The injuries really cost me 18 months to two years at a time when the club were flying. Micky Gray had gone from left-wing to left-back and he did magnificently. He was a super-fit kid and a nice lad, and he forced his way into the England team.

“My regrets are nothing to do with the club, they’re just personal because playing for a top club like Sunderland in the Premier League, I knew there was a good chance I’d get called up. Sunderland is always the first result I look for even now. I still keep in touch with a lot of fans, and they always say the club have never got back to the level of the Peter Reid years, but I think we have now and that’s a great feeling.”

You were an accomplished penalty taker. You always looked cool and composed but inside were you really nervous?

Martin Scott: “Yes, I was massively nervous. What helped was when a penalty was given, I’d usually be in a deep position, but I would never run to take the penalty. I would just walk slowly so I could focus on my set routine. I’d make sure the ball was properly placed. I’d take a set number of steps backwards and I’d always put them to the keeper’s left.

“The only time I changed was before a Millwall match where I scored first in a 6–0 win. Bobby Saxton had pulled me aside and said Kasey Keller was in goal, and he’d have done his homework, and would know where I’d put it. I told Bobby I’d made my mind up, but when it came to it, I went the opposite way.”

You took a couple of spot-kicks against Palace, a winner in a 1–0 home win but missed one at Selhurst Park…

Martin Scott: “My mum and dad went to every game. On the way to that game at Palace, they got caught up in a demonstration and missed the kick-off. By the time they got there a steward told them that I’d already missed a penalty.

“My dad always bet £10 on me as first goalscorer. That season I think I scored six penalties and they were mostly first goals, so he was on a good earner, but that day he’d got there too late to get his bet on, so he at least saved his tenner. I hit the inside of the post, it rolled along the line, hit the other post, and came out. In the second half we got another penalty, and I went to take it, but Paul Bracewell pulled rank on me – but he missed as well. I was a bit upset because I don’t think you should pass the penalty taking around.”

Your next Sunderland read: Régis Le Bris explains Sunderland's quiet January transfer window so far and underlines club stance