Back when the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 spectators in 2019, his coach at the time assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”
This prediction turned out to be a bit of an understatement.
Today aged 22 and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the midfielder has just received his maiden summons to the senior England squad.
His ascent from eighth-tier talent to possible international star is a true blast from the past, a story rarely seen in the modern game.
Next stop? A major tournament?
“Back then, there was no chance of making it as a pro footballer, let alone featuring in the Premier League and playing for England as well,” the player said previously.
“It’s been a incredible five or six years of my life, and things have transformed completely for myself and my family.”
But in what way did Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself here?
Developing in non-league
Scott’s football journey has not been a typical one.
He spent four and a half years in Southampton’s youth system starting at eight, leaving school early every Friday to travel by air from his home on the Channel Island to the mainland so he could attend training and play for the club’s academy sides.
Before his 13th birthday, though, they decided to let him go. Bournemouth gave Scott an opportunity and he remained with them for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind was not in it.
Instead, he chose to stay on Guernsey and turn out for his local team.
“My form had dipped and traveling weekly was starting to feel overwhelming,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to chill at home with my mates at weekends because I missed almost four and a half years of that experience. Getting that slice of childhood again was something I definitely needed.
“Building some self-belief by coming back and playing local football was huge for me. It was perhaps the most crucial things that led me where I am today.”
When he was just 16, the teenager made history as the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he came on as a 57th-minute substitute in their league match at the opposition.
“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the team because his talent is obvious,” manager Tony Vance stated at the time.
“People have witnessed that – his possession of the ball is exceptional, the manner he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”
Returning to the professional game
Second-tier club Bristol City – chaired by islander their owner – had been monitoring his development after an impressive start in men’s football and arranged a trial in December 2019.
“The whole experience was chaos,” said Scott. “The first day I joined the under-18s, the second day I was with the first team, which was a complete surprise.
“Midweek I featured for his local side in the capital, travelled back and by Friday, I took the field for the youth team and scored a hat-trick. It was almost a done deal for me to sign a contract.”
Within 18 months, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut against the Hatters.
Scott went on to make eighty-three league outings for the club while still a teenager, often being deployed as a wide defender – and occasionally in attack as a attacking midfielder – such was his versatility and versatility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
With his ability to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to City and national team attacking midfielder Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the EFL Championship’s young player of the season award, was chosen in the league’s team of the year and was voted Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.
“No doubt, I believe he’ll play for England and I think he will progress to the top of the sport,” his former manager, the player’s manager at Ashton Gate, remarked previously.
Less than 90 days later, he signed for Bournemouth for a understood fee of £25m.
Securing his big move
Scott experienced a challenging first season with the club, having to wait until the autumn to earn his Premier League debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then finding himself inconsistent of the team.
His following season was equally disrupted, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for nearly four months.
“I had a decent run at the close of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained Scott.
“That felt like almost another obstacle and it was turning out to be a pretty bad start for the first half.”
But he was then selected by England for the U21 Euros – and managed to get himself fit in time.
He started five of the England U21s’ six games as they went on to win the competition in the host nation, developing a strong understanding in the middle with his teammate, who himself has gone on to impress for the first team with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started this season equally as strongly for his club, featuring in every game to guide them to fifth in the table.
“Representing the national team would be one of the proudest occasions of my career,” the player stated earlier this season.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to continue developing as a footballer, maintain my love for football, improving day on day, and with luck I catch the eye of the England manager and get my chance.”
