Back when the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 fans in 2019, his coach back then predicted, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”
That prediction proved to be a bit of an understatement.
Now aged 22 and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the playmaker has just received his first summons to the senior England team.
His ascent from eighth-tier talent to potential England player is a proper blast from the past, a journey rarely seen in the modern era.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“Back then, there was no chance of making it as a professional football player, never mind featuring in the Premier League and playing for the national team as well,” Scott stated in a recent interview.
“It has been a incredible five or six years of my life, and circumstances have transformed drastically for myself and my loved ones.”
So in what way did Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up at this level?
Learning in the lower tiers
Scott’s path in football has been far from a typical one.
He was part of over four years in the Saints’ youth system from the age of eight, leaving school early every Friday to fly from his home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could attend training and play for the club’s academy sides.
Before he turned 13, however, they decided to let him go. Bournemouth were willing to offer him an opportunity and he was on the Cherries’ books for a time, but, as he later admitted, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Instead, he opted to remain on the island and turn out for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and traveling weekly was starting to feel overwhelming,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to relax at my home with my friends at the weekend because I missed nearly several years of that experience. To have that slice of youth back was a thing I really required.
“Building a bit of self-belief by returning and playing local football was massive for me. It was perhaps one of the most important things 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 came on as a 57th-minute substitute in their Isthmian League match at Phoenix Sports.
“I had sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could get 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 outstanding, the way he runs with the ball, he’s a class act.”
Making a comeback to the pro ranks
Championship side the Robins – chaired by islander their owner – had been tracking Scott’s early progress after an impressive start in adult football and arranged a try-out in December 2019.
“It was hectic,” recalled the player. “Day one I joined the youth team, the next day I was with the senior squad, which was a complete shock.
“On the Wednesday I played for Guernsey FC in London, returned home and by Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and scored a hat-trick. From that point a certainty for me to put pen to paper on a contract.”
Within a year and a half, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut against Luton.
He went on to make eighty-three league outings for the club while in his teens, often being deployed as a wing-back – and occasionally in attack as a attacking midfielder – such was his versatility and versatility. Even at that young age and playing out of position he was the standout performer.
With his skill to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he picked up the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and England playmaker Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he won the EFL Championship’s young player of the season honour, was selected in the division’s team of the year and was named Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.
“No doubt, I think he will represent his country and I’m sure he will progress to the pinnacle of the game,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s manager at Ashton Gate, remarked last year.
Within three months later, he signed for the Cherries for a reported fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing his big move
Scott endured a difficult debut campaign with the Cherries, waiting until October to earn his Premier League debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then being in and out of the starting XI.
His second campaign was just as affected, this time by a knee operation which ruled him out for nearly several months.
“I had a decent run at the close of the previous campaign, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained he.
“It was almost another setback and it was shaping up as quite a terrible year for the first half.”
But he was then selected 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 Young Lions’ six matches as they claimed victory in the competition in the host nation, forming a formidable understanding in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who himself has gone on to impress for the first team under the national coach.
And he has started the current campaign just as strongly for Bournemouth, featuring in all matches to help them to the top five in the table.
“Representing the national team would be one of the proudest moments of my career,” Scott stated recently.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to keep progressing as a player, keep enjoying football, improving day on day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the England manager and get my chance.”
