Nikki Alexander-Lloyd retires from international hockey

Nikki Alexander-Lloyd has officially announced her retirement from international hockey. Alexander-Lloyd won 130 caps for her country and has been an inspirational figure for the sport.

Alexander-Lloyd said, “I feel really sad retiring but I want to go out on a high and at the top of my game. I’m so proud of my time playing for Scotland; I’ve been selected for every major tournament and to be able to do that consistently over the years is a thing of pride for me. So to retire while I can still be on a par with players half my age is how I’d like to finish. It’s time to let the next generation come through.”

It all started in a match against a South Africa side featuring current Scotland Head Coach Jen Wilson; and it was a goal scoring debut for Alexander-Lloyd, bagging Scotland’s equaliser in the dying seconds for a 1-1 draw. She recalled the moment, “I remember running back to the half way line after the goal, and Cat Ralph had her arm around my shoulder, and thinking – this is cool!”

Nikki Alexander-Lloyd’s first goal for Scotland

It was a memorable goal for Alexander-Lloyd, but there is one goal that stands out more than others as she looks back over her career in a Scotland shirt. The goal came in the Gold Coast; a tremendous solo run and finish against Ghana in a 5-0 win. “Scoring at Gold Coast was like an out of body experience. I’ll never forget it. I remember Kaz Cuthbert just running at me screaming. It was amazing to score a goal like that at a Commonwealth Games and have my parents there to see it.”

The next challenge for Alexander-Lloyd will see her move into coaching with Blackheath & Elthamians men’s team. It’s a challenge Alexander-Lloyd is really looking forward to.

She added, “I’d like to thank everyone at Scottish Hockey; the Institute of Sport; coaching staff; all the players I played with, especially Kaz for being an amazing captain and friend; all the sponsors; and my family and husband for the endless support even when I was never there.”

Scotland women’s Head Coach Jen Wilson said, “Nikki Alexander-Lloyd Has shown great progress and superb impact moments over the last year and this adds to her many significant years of play for Scotland. She has achieved significant milestones that any international player would be really proud of. She has helped stretch younger players, and challenged them to blossom, and has certainly inspired many to follow in her footsteps. I wish her all the best in her next adventure.”

 

Women’s EuroHockey Championship II

Scotland women will compete in Glasgow this summer in a major international tournament.

Women’s EuroHockey Championship II will be held at the Glasgow National Hockey Centre on 4-10 August and is a great chance to cheer on Scotland on home soil against some top European competition.

Find out more, and buy tickets, HERE

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