Notts County striker Cedwyn Scott granted leave of absence for mental health

Notts County striker Cedwyn Scott has been granted a leave of absence from the League Two club in order to prioritise his mental health.

The Magpies said Scott, who joined the club from Gateshead in 2022, will continue to have their “full support” during his unspecified period of time away from Meadow Lane.

In a statement from Scott released by the club, he said: “This past year has been a difficult one, both from a personal and professional perspective.

https://x.com/Official_NCFC/status/1847190252693143581

“I have undertaken therapy, which has helped, but I’ve reached a point where I feel I need to take more concerted steps to overcome the difficulties I’m facing.

“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.

“The support I’ve received from the club, my family and friends has been fantastic and I would like to take this opportunity to encourage anyone else who is struggling to please seek the help they need.”

Scott scored the winning penalty that lifted County back into the Football League with victory over Chesterfield in the National League play-off final at Wembley in 2023, but missed the majority of last season with a knee injury.

His most recent appearance was as a second-half substitute in County’s 1-0 home defeat to Port Vale earlier this month.

County boss Stuart Maynard paid tribute to Scott’s strength of character for choosing to go public with his struggles, and reiterated the club’s unstinting support.

“He’s been struggling for a while,” Maynard told his club’s official website. “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.”