When the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 fans in 2019, his coach back then predicted, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”
This prediction proved to be a bit of an underestimation.
Today aged 22 and an established top-flight player with Bournemouth, the midfielder has earned his maiden call-up to the full England squad.
His ascent from eighth-tier talent to potential international star is a proper blast from the past, a story seldom told in the modern game.
Next stop? A major tournament?
“Back then, there was no chance of making it as a pro footballer, never mind playing in the top division and representing England too,” Scott stated previously.
“It’s been a incredible half-dozen years of my life, and circumstances have transformed completely for me and my loved ones.”
So in what way did Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, end up here?
Developing in non-league
Scott’s football journey has been far from a conventional one.
He was part of over four years in Southampton’s academy setup from the age of eight, skipping school each Friday to fly from his island home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could attend training and feature for the club’s academy sides.
Prior to he turned 13, however, they decided to let him go. Bournemouth gave Scott an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a time, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart wasn’t fully committed.
Instead, he chose to remain on the island and play for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and flying over every week was becoming overwhelming,” he recalled.
“All I desired to chill at my home with my mates at weekends because I had missed nearly several years of that experience. Getting that little bit of youth again was a thing I definitely needed.
“Building a bit of self-belief by coming back and taking part in local football was huge for me. It was perhaps one of the most important factors that led me where I am today.”
At the age of 16, the teenager made history as the youngest player in the club’s records when he was introduced as a 57th-minute replacement in their Isthmian League fixture 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,” Guernsey boss the coach commented at the time.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is exceptional, the manner he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Making a comeback to the pro ranks
Championship side Bristol City – chaired by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been tracking his early progress after an impressive start in adult football and arranged a trial in December 2019.
“The whole experience was chaos,” said the player. “Day one I joined the youth team, the next day I was with the senior squad, which was a complete surprise.
“On the Wednesday I played for his local side in London, travelled back and on the Friday, I played for the youth team and scored a hat-trick. It was almost a certainty 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 versus the Hatters.
He made eighty-three league appearances for the Robins while still a teenager, often being deployed as a wide defender – and occasionally in attack as a number 10 – demonstrating his versatility and versatility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was their best player.
Thanks to his ability to carry the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he picked up the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and national team playmaker Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 season he claimed the second tier’s best young player honour, was chosen in the division’s best XI and was named the club’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I think he will represent England and I think he’ll go on to the top of the game,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s manager at Ashton Gate, stated previously.
Within three months later, he joined Bournemouth for a reported transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his major transfer
The midfielder experienced a challenging debut campaign with the club, having to wait until the autumn to earn his Premier League debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then being inconsistent of the team.
His second campaign was equally affected, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for almost several months.
“There was a decent run at the end of last season, which was good to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained Scott.
“That felt like yet another setback and it was shaping up as 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 for the tournament.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six games as they went on to win the competition in Slovakia, forming a strong partnership in the middle with his teammate, who himself has gone on to impress for the senior side with the national coach.
And he has begun this season just as impressively for his club, playing in every game to guide them to the top five in the table.
“Representing the national team would be among the most special moments of my career,” the player stated recently.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to keep progressing as a footballer, maintain my love for football, getting better day on day, and with luck I catch the eye of the national coach and earn an opportunity.”
