Back when the young midfielder made his local team debut against Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 fans in 2019, his manager back then predicted, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
That prediction turned out to be a bit of an understatement.
Today 22 years old and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the playmaker has just received his maiden call-up to the full Three Lions team.
His rise from eighth-tier talent to possible international star is a true blast from the past, a story seldom told in the modern game.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“Back then, there was no chance of becoming a professional football player, never mind featuring in the top division and representing England as well,” Scott said in a recent interview.
“It has been a crazy five or six years of my life, and circumstances have changed drastically for myself and my loved ones.”
So in what way did Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up at this level?
Developing in non-league
His football journey has been far from a typical one.
He was part of four and a half years in the Saints’ youth system starting at eight, skipping school every Friday to travel by air from his island home on the Channel Island to the south coast so he could attend training and play for the club’s academy sides.
Before his 13th birthday, however, they decided to let him go. The Cherries were willing to offer Scott an opportunity and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind was not in it.
Instead, he chose to remain on Guernsey and play for his hometown club.
“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over every week was becoming overwhelming,” he explained.
“I just wanted to relax at home with my friends at the weekend because I missed almost several years of that experience. Getting that slice of youth back was a thing I definitely needed.
“To gain some self-belief by returning and taking part in island football was massive for me. That proved to be probably the most crucial factors that got me where I am today.”
When he was just 16, Scott made history as the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a second-half substitute in their league match at Phoenix Sports.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could include him in the side because he’s that good,” manager the coach commented at the time.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is exceptional, the manner he runs with the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Making a comeback to the pro ranks
Second-tier club the Robins – chaired by islander Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring Scott’s early progress after an impressive beginning in men’s football and gave him a try-out in December 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” recalled the player. “Day one I trained with the youth team, the next day I was with the first team, which was a total shock.
“On the Wednesday I featured for his local side in London, returned home and on the Friday, I took the field for the youth team and scored a hat-trick. It was almost a certainty for me to put pen to paper on a contract.”
Within a year and a half, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut versus Luton.
He went on to make 83 league appearances for the club while still a teenager, frequently being used as a wide defender – and occasionally further forward as a attacking midfielder – such was his adaptability and flexibility. Even at that young age and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
With his ability to drive the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he picked up the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to City and England attacking midfielder Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 season he claimed the second tier’s young player of the season honour, was selected in the league’s team of the year and was named the club’s player and young player of the Year.
“Without question, I think he’ll play for his country and I’m sure he’ll go on to the top of the game,” his former manager, Scott’s boss at Ashton Gate, remarked last year.
Less than three months after, he signed for the Cherries for a understood transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing his major transfer
The midfielder experienced a challenging debut campaign with the club, waiting until the autumn to make his top-flight debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then being in and out of the starting XI.
His second campaign was just as disrupted, this time by a knee operation which ruled him out for nearly several months.
“There was a decent run at the close of last season, which was good to have, then I fractured my jaw,” said Scott.
“That felt like almost another setback and the year was shaping up as quite a terrible year for the first half.”
But he was then called up by England for the Under-21 European Championships – and succeeded in get himself fit for the tournament.
He started five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they went on to win the tournament in the host nation, developing a formidable partnership in the middle with his teammate, who in turn has gone on to impress for the first team under Thomas Tuchel.
And he has begun the current campaign just as impressively for Bournemouth, featuring in every game to help them to the top five in the standings.
“To play for the national team would be one of the proudest occasions of my career,” Scott said recently.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to continue developing as a footballer, keep enjoying football, getting better every day, and with luck I impress the national coach and earn an opportunity.”
