When the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 spectators in 2019, his coach back then predicted, “we haven’t seen the best from this youngster.”
That prediction proved to be a bit of an underestimation.
Now aged 22 and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the midfielder has earned his first summons to the full Three Lions squad.
His ascent from non-league prodigy to possible England player is a true throwback, a journey seldom seen in the modern era.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“Back then, there was zero possibility of making it as a pro footballer, let alone featuring in the top division and representing the national team as well,” Scott stated in a recent interview.
“It’s been a incredible five or six years of my life, and circumstances have changed completely for myself and my loved ones.”
So how did Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, end up 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 academy setup starting at eight, skipping school every Friday to fly from his home on the Channel Island to the south coast so he could train and play for the Saints’ youth teams.
Prior to he turned 13, though, they released him. The Cherries were willing to offer him an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a time, but, as he later admitted, his heart wasn’t fully committed.
Instead, he opted to stay on Guernsey and turn out for his local team.
“My form had dipped and traveling weekly was starting to feel a bit too much,” he explained.
“I just wanted to relax at my home with my friends at the weekend because I missed nearly several years of doing that. Getting that little bit of childhood back was something I really needed.
“To gain a bit of self-belief by returning and taking part in local football was huge for me. That proved to be probably the most crucial things that got me to this point.”
At the age of 16, Scott made history as the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a second-half replacement in their Isthmian League fixture at the opposition.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could include him in the team because his talent is obvious,” manager Tony Vance stated back then.
“People have witnessed that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the way he runs with the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Making a comeback to the professional game
Second-tier club the Robins – owned by islander Steve Lansdown – had been tracking Scott’s early progress after an promising start in adult football and arranged a trial in December 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” recalled the player. “Day one I joined the youth team, the next day I was with the first team, which was a total shock.
“On the Wednesday I featured for Guernsey FC in the capital, travelled back and by Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and netted a hat-trick. From that point a certainty for me to sign a contract.”
In just a year and a half, even well before his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut versus Luton.
He made eighty-three league outings for the Robins while in his teens, frequently being deployed as a wing-back – and occasionally further forward as a attacking midfielder – such was his versatility and flexibility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was their best player.
With his skill to drive the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the moniker ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and England playmaker Jack Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 campaign he won the EFL Championship’s best young player award, was selected in the league’s best XI and was voted Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“No doubt, I think he’ll play for his country and I think he’ll go on to the top of the game,” his former manager, Scott’s boss at Ashton Gate, stated previously.
Within 90 days after, he joined Bournemouth for a reported transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his major transfer
The midfielder endured a challenging first season with the club, having to wait until the autumn to earn his top-flight debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then finding himself in and out of the starting XI.
His second campaign was just as affected, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for almost four months.
“I had quite a good run at the close of the previous campaign, which was good to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained Scott.
“It was yet another setback and the year was turning out to be a pretty bad year for the first half.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the Under-21 European Championships – and succeeded in regain fitness for the tournament.
He started five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they claimed victory in the tournament in Slovakia, developing a formidable understanding in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has excelled for the first team under the national coach.
And he has started the current campaign equally as impressively for his club, playing in all matches to guide them to fifth in the standings.
“Representing the England senior team would be one of the proudest occasions of my life,” Scott said recently.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to keep progressing as a player, keep enjoying the game, improving day on day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the national coach and get my chance.”
