He started his career as a youth at Ipswich Town and progressed to become the regular first team centre forward, gaining five England Under 21 caps in the process. From 1994 to 2001 he played over 200 games for the club, scoring nearly 50 goals but creating many more from his Sheringham-like 'deep' target-man position. At the end of the 2000-01 season, he was sold to Leicester City for £3m, where he played over 150 games for the relatively slight return of less than 30 goals, though Scowcroft has never been an out-and-out goalscorer. Although initially identified by his passport photo and investigated by Spanish police following an alleged clash between three German women of African origin and the Leicester City squad at La Manga golf club, Scowcroft was released on bail and subsequently cleared of all charges.

He was loaned back to Ipswich in the spring of 2005 before being signed by Coventry City on a free transfer. He played on the right wing for Coventry for the 2005-06 season, before he left to join Crystal Palace for £500,000 in July 2006, where he is regarded as one of the hardest workers in the side.

Scowcroft's home is in Stanton, near Bury St Edmunds, where he lives with his wife and their two children. Jody Scowcroft is the eldest of their two children and is a keen footballer.

Club career statistics

(correct as of 5 July 2008)

References

External links

• James Scowcroft player profile at cpfc.co.uk
• James Scowcroft player profile at lcfc.co.uk