Back when the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his coach back then predicted, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”
That statement turned out to be a bit of an underestimation.
Now 22 years old and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the playmaker has just received his first call-up to the senior England squad.
His ascent from non-league prodigy to possible international star is a proper blast from the past, a journey seldom told in the modern game.
What’s next? A major tournament?
“Back then, there was no chance of making it as a professional football player, never mind featuring in the top division and playing for the national team as well,” the player stated previously.
“It has been a incredible half-dozen years of my life, and circumstances have transformed drastically for me and my loved ones.”
But in what way did Scott, known affectionately as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, end up at this level?
Developing in the lower tiers
His path in football has been far from a typical one.
He spent four and a half years in the Saints’ academy setup from the age of eight, skipping school each Friday to travel by air from his home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could attend training and play for the club’s academy sides.
Prior to he turned 13, though, they released him. The Cherries were willing to offer him an option and he remained with them for a time, but, as he later admitted, his heart was not in it.
Rather, he chose to remain on Guernsey and turn out for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and flying over every week was starting to feel overwhelming,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to relax at my home with my mates at the weekend because I had missed nearly four and a half years of doing that. To have that slice of youth back was something I really needed.
“Building some confidence by returning and taking part in local football was huge for me. It was probably the most crucial factors that got me where I am today.”
At the age of 16, Scott became the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a 57th-minute replacement in their Isthmian League match at the opposition.
“I had sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could include him in the side because his talent is obvious,” manager the coach stated back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is exceptional, the manner he runs with the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Making a comeback to the professional game
Championship side the Robins – owned by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring his development after an impressive start in men’s football and arranged a trial in December 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” recalled Scott. “The first day I joined the youth team, the second day I trained with the senior squad, which was a complete shock.
“On the Wednesday I played for Guernsey FC in the capital, travelled back and on the Friday, I played for the youth team and scored a three goals. It was almost a done deal for me to sign a deal.”
In just a year and a half, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his first-team debut against Luton.
He went on to make eighty-three league appearances for the club while still a teenager, frequently being used as a wing-back – and occasionally in attack as a attacking midfielder – demonstrating his versatility and versatility. Despite his youth and playing out of position he was their best player.
Thanks to his ability to carry the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to City and England attacking midfielder Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 campaign he won the EFL Championship’s best young player honour, was selected in the division’s best XI and was voted Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I think he will represent England and I’m sure he’ll go on to the top of the sport,” his former manager, Scott’s boss at Ashton Gate, remarked previously.
Less than 90 days later, he signed for the Cherries for a understood fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his big move
Scott experienced a difficult debut campaign with the club, waiting until the autumn to earn his top-flight debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then finding himself in and out of the team.
His following season was just as affected, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for almost several months.
“There was a decent run at the end of last season, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” said he.
“It was yet another obstacle and the year was shaping up as a pretty bad year for the first five months.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the U21 Euros – and managed to regain fitness for the tournament.
He started five of the Young Lions’ six games as they claimed victory in the tournament in Slovakia, developing a formidable understanding in midfield with his teammate, who himself has gone on to impress for the senior side with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started this season just as impressively for Bournemouth, playing in all matches to help them to fifth in the standings.
“Representing the national team would be one of the proudest moments of my life,” the player stated earlier this season.
“It’s down to me, I must keep progressing as a player, keep enjoying the game, improving every day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the England manager and get my chance.”
