Back when the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his coach back then predicted, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
That statement turned out to be something of an understatement.
Today 22 years old and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the playmaker has earned his first call-up to the senior England team.
His rise from non-league prodigy to possible international star is a proper throwback, a journey rarely told in the modern game.
What’s next? A major tournament?
“In my mind, there was no chance of making it as a professional football player, let alone featuring in the top division and representing England as well,” Scott said previously.
“It’s been a crazy half-dozen years of my life, and circumstances have changed drastically for myself and my loved ones.”
But in what way did Scott, known fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself at this level?
Learning in the lower tiers
His path in football has been far from a typical one.
He spent four and a half years in Southampton’s youth system starting at eight, leaving school early every Friday to fly from his island home on the Channel Island to the south coast so he could attend training and play for the Saints’ youth teams.
Prior to he turned 13, though, they decided to let him go. The Cherries were willing to offer Scott an opportunity and he remained with them for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he chose to stay on the island and turn out for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over weekly was starting to feel a bit too much,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to relax at my home with my friends at the weekend because I had missed almost several years of that experience. To have that slice of youth back was a thing I definitely needed.
“To gain some confidence by returning and playing island football was huge for me. It was probably one of the most important things that got me to this point.”
At the age of 16, the teenager 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’ve been having sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could include him in the side because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance stated back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the manner he runs with the ball, he’s a class act.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Second-tier club the Robins – chaired by islander their owner – had been tracking his early progress after an impressive start in adult football and gave him a trial in December 2019.
“It was chaos,” said the player. “The first day I trained with the youth team, the next day I trained with the senior squad, which was a total shock.
“Midweek I featured for Guernsey FC in the capital, travelled back and by Friday, I took the field for Bristol City Under-18s and netted a three goals. It was almost a certainty for me to sign a contract.”
Within 18 months, still well before his 18th birthday, he was earning his first-team debut versus Luton.
Scott made eighty-three league outings for the club while still a teenager, frequently being used as a wide defender – and occasionally in attack as a attacking midfielder – such was his versatility and flexibility. Even at that young age and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
Thanks to his ability to carry the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he picked up the moniker ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a reference to City and England playmaker Jack Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he won the second tier’s best young player award, was selected in the league’s team of the year and was named Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“No doubt, I think he will represent England and I think he will progress to the top of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s manager at Ashton Gate, stated last year.
Less than 90 days later, he signed for Bournemouth for a reported transfer fee of £25m.
Securing his major transfer
Scott endured a difficult first season with the Cherries, having to wait until October to earn his Premier League debut after a knee problem in the summer, and then being inconsistent of the team.
His second campaign was equally disrupted, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for almost several months.
“There was quite a good run at the close of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained he.
“That felt like almost another setback and the year was turning out to be quite a terrible year for the first half.”
But he was then called up 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 England U21s’ six games as they went on to win the tournament in the host nation, developing a formidable understanding in the middle with his teammate, who in turn has excelled for the senior side under Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started the current campaign just as strongly for Bournemouth, featuring in every game to help them to the top five in the table.
“To play for the England senior team would be one of the proudest moments of my life,” the player stated recently.
“It’s down to me, I must keep progressing as a footballer, maintain my love for football, getting better every day, and with luck I impress the national coach and get my chance.”
