Back when the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his coach at the time assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this youngster.”
This statement proved to be something of an understatement.
Today aged 22 and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the playmaker has earned his first call-up to the senior Three Lions squad.
His ascent from eighth-tier talent to potential England player is a true blast from the past, a story seldom told in the modern game.
What’s next? A major tournament?
“In my mind, there was no chance of making it as a pro footballer, never mind featuring in the top division and representing England too,” the player said in a recent interview.
“It has been a incredible five or six years of my life, and things have transformed drastically for myself and my family.”
But in what way did Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up at this level?
Learning in non-league
His football journey has not been a typical one.
He spent four and a half years in the Saints’ academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early every Friday to travel by air from his home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could train and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.
Prior to his 13th birthday, though, they decided to let him go. Bournemouth gave Scott an opportunity and he remained with them for a while, but, as he later admitted, his heart was not in it.
Instead, he opted to remain on Guernsey and play for his hometown club.
“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling weekly was becoming overwhelming,” he recalled.
“All I desired to relax at my home with my friends at weekends because I had missed nearly several years of doing that. To have that slice of youth back was a thing I really required.
“Building a bit of confidence by returning and taking part in island football was huge for me. That proved to be perhaps the most crucial things that led me where I am today.”
When he was just 16, Scott made history as the most youthful appearance-maker in the club’s records when he came on as a 57th-minute substitute in their Isthmian League match at Phoenix Sports.
“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could get him in the side because his talent is obvious,” manager Tony Vance stated at the time.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the way he runs with the ball, he’s a class act.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Second-tier club Bristol City – chaired by islander their owner – had been tracking Scott’s early progress after an promising beginning in adult football and arranged a try-out in December 2019.
“It was chaos,” said the player. “The first day I joined the under-18s, the next day I trained with the first team, which was a total surprise.
“Midweek I featured for Guernsey FC in London, travelled back and on the Friday, I took the field for the youth team and scored a hat-trick. From that point a done deal for me to sign a contract.”
In just a year and a half, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut against the Hatters.
Scott went on to make eighty-three league appearances for the Robins while still a teenager, frequently being deployed as a wing-back – and sometimes in attack as a attacking midfielder – demonstrating his adaptability and flexibility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
Thanks to his skill to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and England attacking midfielder Jack Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the second tier’s best young player honour, was chosen in the league’s best XI and was named Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.
“Without question, I think he will represent England and I think he’ll go on to the top of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s manager at the club, stated previously.
Less than three months after, he signed for Bournemouth for a understood fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his big move
Scott endured a challenging first season with the club, waiting until October to earn his Premier League debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then finding himself in and out of the starting XI.
His second campaign was just as affected, this time by a surgery which ruled him out for nearly several months.
“I had quite a good run at the close of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” said he.
“That felt like almost another setback and the year was shaping up as quite a terrible start for the first half.”
But he was then called up by England for the Under-21 European Championships – and managed to regain fitness in time.
He started five of the England U21s’ six games as they claimed victory in the tournament in Slovakia, forming a formidable partnership in the middle with his teammate, who himself has excelled for the first team under the national coach.
And he has begun the current campaign just as impressively for Bournemouth, featuring in all matches to help them to the top five in the standings.
“Representing the England senior team would be one of the proudest occasions of my career,” Scott said earlier this season.
“It’s down to me, I must continue developing as a footballer, keep enjoying football, improving day on day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the England manager and earn an opportunity.”
