Back when the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his local team debut against Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 fans in 2019, his manager back then assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
That statement proved to be something of an understatement.
Today 22 years old and an established top-flight player with Bournemouth, the midfielder has earned his maiden call-up to the senior England squad.
His ascent from eighth-tier talent to potential England player is a true blast from the past, a journey rarely seen in the modern game.
Next stop? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was zero possibility of becoming a pro footballer, let alone featuring in the top division and representing the national team too,” the player said previously.
“It has been a incredible five or six years of my life, and circumstances have transformed completely for myself and my loved ones.”
So in what way did Scott, known affectionately as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself here?
Developing in non-league
His football journey has not been a conventional one.
He was part of four and a half years in Southampton’s academy setup starting at eight, skipping school each Friday to travel by air from his home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could train and feature for the club’s academy sides.
Before his 13th birthday, though, they decided to let him go. The Cherries were willing to offer him an opportunity and he remained with them for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart wasn’t fully committed.
Instead, he opted to remain on the island and play for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over every week was becoming overwhelming,” he explained.
“All I desired to chill at home with my friends at weekends because I had missed almost several years of that experience. To have that slice of youth again was a thing I really needed.
“Building a bit of confidence by coming back and taking part in local football was huge for me. It was perhaps the most crucial things that got me to this point.”
At the age of 16, Scott became the most youthful appearance-maker in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a 57th-minute replacement in their league match at the opposition.
“I had sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could get him in the side because he’s that good,” manager Tony Vance commented back then.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is exceptional, the way he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Second-tier club the Robins – owned by islander their owner – had been tracking his development after an promising beginning in men’s football and arranged a try-out in late 2019.
“The whole experience was chaos,” said Scott. “The first day I trained with the youth team, the second day I was with the senior squad, which was a total surprise.
“Midweek I played for Guernsey FC in the capital, travelled back and on the Friday, I took the field for the youth team and scored a three goals. From that point a certainty for me to sign a deal.”
Within a year and a half, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut against Luton.
He went on to make 83 league appearances for the Robins while in his teens, often being used as a wide defender – and sometimes in attack as a number 10 – such was his versatility and versatility. Even at that young age and not in his natural role he was their best player.
With his skill to carry the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the moniker ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and national team playmaker Jack Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the EFL Championship’s young player of the season award, was chosen in the league’s team of the year and was named Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“No doubt, I believe he’ll play for his country and I’m sure he will progress to the top of the game,” his former manager, Scott’s manager at the club, remarked last year.
Within three months after, he joined the Cherries for a reported transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his big move
Scott experienced a difficult first season with the Cherries, waiting until October to earn his top-flight debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then finding himself in and out of the starting XI.
His following season was equally affected, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for nearly several months.
“I had a decent run at the close of last season, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” said he.
“It was yet another setback and it was shaping up as a pretty bad start for the first five months.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the Under-21 European Championships – and succeeded in get himself fit in time.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they claimed victory in the tournament in Slovakia, developing a strong understanding in midfield with his teammate, who in turn has excelled for the first team under the national coach.
And he has begun the current campaign just as impressively for Bournemouth, playing in all matches to guide them to the top five in the table.
“Representing the national team would be among the most special moments of my career,” Scott said earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I must continue developing as a footballer, keep enjoying football, getting better every day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the national coach and get my chance.”
