Back when the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his local team debut versus Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his coach back then assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”
This prediction proved to be a bit of an understatement.
Today 22 years old and an established top-flight player with Bournemouth, the playmaker has earned his first summons to the senior Three Lions team.
His rise from non-league prodigy to potential England player is a true throwback, a journey seldom seen in the modern game.
Next stop? The World Cup?
“Back then, there was zero possibility of making it as a pro footballer, never mind featuring in the Premier League and representing England too,” Scott said in a recent interview.
“It has been a incredible half-dozen years of my life, and circumstances have transformed drastically for me and my family.”
So in what way did Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself here?
Developing in non-league
Scott’s football journey has not been a typical one.
He spent over four years in the Saints’ youth system starting at eight, leaving school early every Friday to fly from his home on the Channel Island to the south coast so he could train and feature for the club’s academy sides.
Prior to his 13th birthday, though, they decided to let him go. Bournemouth were willing to offer Scott an option and he remained with them for a time, but, as he later admitted, his heart wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he opted to remain on Guernsey and turn out for his hometown club.
“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling weekly was starting to feel overwhelming,” he recalled.
“All I desired to relax at home with my mates at the weekend because I missed almost several years of that experience. Getting that slice of childhood again was a thing I definitely needed.
“Building a bit of confidence by returning and taking part in local football was massive for me. It was perhaps the most crucial factors 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 57th-minute substitute in their league fixture 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 he’s that good,” manager the coach stated at the time.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the manner he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”
Making a comeback to the pro ranks
Championship side the Robins – owned by Guernsey resident their owner – had been tracking his early progress after an promising start in men’s football and arranged a try-out in December 2019.
“It was hectic,” recalled the player. “Day one I trained with the under-18s, the next day I was with the first team, which was a total shock.
“On the Wednesday I played for his local side in London, returned home and on the Friday, I took the field for the youth team and netted a three goals. From that point a done deal for me to put pen to paper on a deal.”
Within a year and a half, even well before his 18th birthday, he was earning his first-team debut against the Hatters.
He made 83 league appearances for the Robins while in his teens, often being used as a wing-back – and sometimes further forward as a number 10 – such was his versatility and versatility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was their best player.
With his skill to carry the ball forward, 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 Jack Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 season he won the second tier’s best young player honour, was selected in the division’s team of the year and was named Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I believe he will represent his country and I think he will progress to the pinnacle of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s manager at Ashton Gate, remarked previously.
Less than three months after, he signed for the Cherries for a reported fee of £25m.
Getting his major transfer
Scott endured a challenging first season with the club, waiting until October to make his Premier League debut after a knee problem in the summer, and then finding himself in and out of the starting XI.
His following season was just as affected, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for almost four months.
“There was quite a good run at the end of last season, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” said Scott.
“That felt like yet another setback and the year was shaping up as a pretty bad year for the first five months.”
But he was then called up by the national team for the U21 Euros – and managed to get himself fit for the tournament.
He started five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they claimed victory in the tournament in the host nation, developing a formidable understanding in midfield with his teammate, who himself has gone on to impress for the first team with the national coach.
And he has begun this season just as impressively for Bournemouth, featuring in every game to guide them to the top five in the standings.
“To play for the national team would be one of the proudest moments of my career,” the player stated earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I must continue developing as a player, maintain my love for football, improving every day, and with luck I impress the national coach and get my chance.”
