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Paul McNamara

After a barren time in the Scottish Highlands that he called the “hardest year of my life”, James Scott has pitched up in Hong Kong aiming to “make a name for myself again”.
Still only 25, and a former Scotland under-21 striker, Scott is a fine signing for Supreme Sha Tin, the club that drew the fifth-largest turnout of the 12-year Hong Kong Premier League era on Friday.
A whopping 4,592 crowd turned out for their Mong Kok Stadium clash with Lee Man, although a 3-0 defeat was not in the script.
Scott’s first concern after arriving in the city earlier this month was to avoid the fate of compatriot Calum Hall, who collapsed from sunstroke during a pre-season game following his move to Eastern three years ago.
“The heat is totally different from where me and Callum are from,” Scott said. “It’ll take me a wee while to get used to it.”












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Drenched in sweat and catching his breath after a goalscoring debut in a 3-1 win over Eastern last week, in front of another bumper crowd of 3,329, Scott joked that he was “too tired to think”.
From Glasgow, and a Celtic season ticket holder, a very young Scott was released by his boyhood club and told he “wasn’t good enough”.
Disillusioned and discouraged, he stopped playing for a year, until his mother and grandfather, John Gray, who played for Motherwell in the 1970s, formed a youth team to tempt him back to the sport.
“It was a hard time and I was upset, but they got me back into loving football again,” Scott said. “I did really well and I owe my mum and grandpa a big thanks for doing that for me.”
Soon, Scott had the “weird but good” experience of trialling with Rangers. Celtic came knocking again, too, but influenced by Grandpa John, he joined Motherwell at 13.
“It was good to know I should be at that level,” he said. “I knew lots of players had done well for Motherwell and got big moves.
“I loved my time at Celtic. I was probably too young at the time and it wasn’t meant to be, but I’d love to play for them one day.”
Two years after joining, Scott played in a Scottish Challenge Cup match for Motherwell under-20s against Edinburgh City.
“I was too young to understand what was going on, but Motherwell were brilliant doing that for me,” he said. “I’m really glad it happened; I learned lessons that helped me become the player I am today.”
A first-team debut followed off the bench at Ross County in April 2018, when Scott was 17. He was just old enough to legally buy a round in the pub when fate decreed that he would make his first senior start at Celtic.
Motherwell lost 4-1 and after the match The Times ran with the headline, ‘James Scott’s stunning lack of sportsmanship infuriates victorious Celtic’.
His crime was to play on when Celtic felt the ball should have been given back after they had kicked it out to allow midfielder Ryan Christie to receive treatment. Receiving the ball from a throw-in, Scott charged forward to aim a shot that goalkeeper Scott Bain pushed out for Gboly Ariyibi to score on the rebound.
Scott’s father was sitting among those baying for blood inside Celtic Park.

Delighted to get my first call up!👏💙 https://t.co/hh50MaXFwe
— JamesScott (@_jamesscottt_) August 19, 2019

“That moment probably made me a Motherwell legend at the time,” Scott said. “There was a bit of miscommunication on the park. I was still young, there was a lot of noise and when I got the ball, I just got my head down and wanted to do well for the club.”
In January 2020, barely a year after he had signed a 3½-year contract extension with Motherwell, whose manager Stephen Robinson called Scott “a very talented boy … I have high hopes for him”, Hull City paid £1.5 million (US$2 million) for the 19-year-old striker.
But early in his first training session with the club, Scott injured an ankle and was ruled out for six months.
“That injury was the biggest challenge of my life,” Scott said. “Covid kicked in soon after, but I learned from some big names at Hull, and I’m glad I went.”
Scott had a good 2021-22 back in Scotland on loan with Hibernian, wrapping up the campaign with a hat-trick in a 4-0 win over St Johnstone, after beginning it by earning the last of his three international under-21 caps.
Having played alongside the likes of Lewis Ferguson and Nathan Patterson, who went to the World Cup this summer, Scott said Scotland recognition was “of course” still on his radar, and hoped that “if I do well for a few years, it’ll get my name out there”.
Returning to Hull, Scott came under the charge of future Chelsea boss Liam Rosenior.
“He was nothing but good to me, but the club had bigger ambitions, and I wasn’t doing so well coming back from injury, so we decided to part ways,” Scott said.
After four goals from 36 games, albeit only 14 were starts, Scott swapped Hull for Exeter City in February 2023.
Twelve months, four goals and 43 games later, he was borrowed by St Mirren, who kept him in Scotland’s top flight for 2024-25. After a campaign on the periphery, Scott agreed a loan to Scottish Championship team Ross County.
“We believe he is a fantastic addition to the group,” Don Cowie, the manager, said. Cowie was gone after three games. Scott subsequently had two more permanent bosses, as he drifted to the fringes and his team dropped out of the division.

“That was probably the hardest year of my life,” Scott said. “I was uncomfortable because I wasn’t playing, so I wanted to try something completely different, come out of my comfort zone in a different way, and restart my career.
“I want to progress and develop as a person, and make a name for myself again.”
Already looking at home on the field, Scott is equally settled off it after being joined in Hong Kong by his partner.
“When I moved to Hull at 19, I loved experiencing new things,” Scott said. “Coming here, my family and partner were asking how I was so calm. But I love new challenges and I’m really excited. I want to do well, then maybe go to a bigger league, but my only focus now is on doing well for Supreme.”


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Sport

Football

James Scott aiming to ‘make a name for myself again’ with Supreme Sha Tin following ‘the hardest year of my life’


James Scott aiming to ‘make a name for myself again’ with Supreme Sha Tin following ‘the hardest year of my life’.


Hong Kong Premier League

James Scott, Scotland star who once ‘infuriated’ Celtic, out to reboot career in Hong Kong

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}James Scott aiming to ‘make a name for myself again’ with Supreme Sha Tin following ‘the hardest year of my life’

James Scott aiming to ‘make a name for myself again’ with Supreme Sha Tin following ‘the hardest year of my life’