When the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his coach back then assured, “there’s more to come from this youngster.”
This statement proved to be a bit of an understatement.
Today 22 years old and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the playmaker has earned his maiden 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?
“Back then, there was no chance of becoming a professional football player, never mind featuring in the top division and playing for the national team as well,” Scott said previously.
“It’s been a incredible five or six years of my life, and circumstances have transformed drastically for myself and my loved ones.”
But how did Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself here?
Learning in non-league
His path in football has not been a typical one.
He spent four and a half years in the Saints’ academy setup starting at eight, skipping school each Friday to fly from his home on the Channel Island to the mainland so he could attend training and play for the Saints’ youth teams.
Before his 13th birthday, however, they decided to let him go. 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 mind was not in it.
Instead, he chose to remain on Guernsey and turn out for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over every week was becoming a bit too much,” he explained.
“I just wanted to chill at home with my mates at the weekend because I missed almost several years of doing that. To have that little bit of childhood back was something I really needed.
“Building some confidence by returning and taking part in island football was huge for me. That proved to be perhaps the most crucial factors that got me to this point.”
When he was just 16, Scott made history as the youngest player in the club’s records when he was introduced as a second-half substitute in their league match at the opposition.
“I’ve been having trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the team because his talent is obvious,” manager the coach commented at the time.
“People have witnessed that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the way he runs with the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Returning to the professional game
Second-tier club the Robins – chaired by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been tracking Scott’s early progress after an promising beginning in men’s football and gave him a trial in late 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” said Scott. “Day one I joined the under-18s, the second day I was with the first team, which was a total shock.
“Midweek I played for Guernsey FC in the capital, travelled back and on the Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and scored a hat-trick. It was almost a certainty for me to put pen to paper on a deal.”
In just 18 months, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut versus the Hatters.
He made 83 league outings for the Robins while still a teenager, frequently being used as a wide defender – and occasionally in attack as a attacking midfielder – demonstrating his versatility and versatility. Despite his youth and playing out of position he was the standout performer.
With his ability to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he picked up the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and national team playmaker Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the EFL Championship’s best young player award, was chosen in the division’s team of the year and was voted Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I think he’ll play for his country and I’m sure he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s boss at Ashton Gate, remarked last year.
Less than three months later, he joined the Cherries for a reported fee of £25m.
Getting his big move
The midfielder endured a difficult debut campaign with the club, waiting until the autumn to earn his top-flight debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then finding himself inconsistent of the starting XI.
His following season was just as disrupted, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for nearly several months.
“There was quite a good run at the close of last season, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” said Scott.
“That felt like yet another obstacle and it was turning out to be quite a terrible year for the first five months.”
But he was then called up by the national team for the Under-21 European Championships – and managed to get himself fit for the tournament.
He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six games as they went on to win the tournament in the host nation, forming a strong partnership in the middle with his teammate, who himself has gone on to impress for the first team with the national coach.
And he has started this season equally as strongly for Bournemouth, playing in every game to guide them to the top five in the standings.
“To play for the England senior team would be among the most special moments of my life,” the player said recently.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to keep progressing as a player, maintain my love for the game, getting better day on day, and with luck I impress the England manager and earn an opportunity.”
