Back when the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 fans in 2019, his manager at the time assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”
That prediction proved to be a bit of an underestimation.
Today 22 years old and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the playmaker has earned his first call-up to the full Three Lions team.
His rise from eighth-tier talent to possible England player is a true blast from the past, a story rarely told in the modern game.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was no chance of making it as a professional football player, never mind featuring in the top division and playing for the national team as well,” the player said previously.
“It’s been a incredible half-dozen years of my life, and circumstances have changed completely for myself and my family.”
So how did Scott, known fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself here?
Developing in non-league
Scott’s football journey has not been a conventional one.
He spent four and a half years in Southampton’s academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early every Friday to travel by air from his island home on the Channel Island to the mainland so he could attend training and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.
Before his 13th birthday, though, they released him. Bournemouth gave him an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he opted to stay on the island and turn out for his local team.
“My form had dipped and traveling weekly was becoming overwhelming,” he explained.
“I just wanted to relax at home with my friends at the weekend because I had missed nearly four and a half years of that experience. To have that little bit of childhood back was a thing I definitely required.
“To gain 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 where I am today.”
At the age of 16, Scott became the most youthful appearance-maker in the club’s records when he came on as a second-half replacement in their league fixture at the opposition.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was figuring out how I could get him in the team because he’s that good,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance stated back then.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the manner he runs with the ball, he’s a class act.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Second-tier club the Robins – owned by islander Steve Lansdown – had been tracking his development after an impressive start in men’s football and arranged a try-out in December 2019.
“It was chaos,” said Scott. “The first day I trained with the under-18s, the second day I was with the first team, which was a complete surprise.
“Midweek I played for Guernsey FC in London, returned home and by Friday, I took the field for Bristol City Under-18s and scored a three goals. It was almost a done deal for me to sign a contract.”
Within a year and a half, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut versus the Hatters.
Scott went on to make eighty-three league outings for the Robins while in his teens, frequently being used as a wide defender – and sometimes in attack as a number 10 – demonstrating his adaptability and flexibility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
Thanks to his skill to carry the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a nod to City and England playmaker Jack Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he claimed the second tier’s young player of the season honour, was chosen in the league’s team of the year and was named Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.
“Without question, I think he’ll play for England and I’m sure he will progress to the top of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s manager at Ashton Gate, remarked previously.
Within 90 days after, he joined Bournemouth for a understood fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing his big move
Scott endured a difficult first season with the club, having to wait until October to make his Premier League debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then finding himself inconsistent of the team.
His following season was equally disrupted, this time by a knee operation which ruled him out for nearly several months.
“I had a decent run at the end of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained he.
“That felt like yet another obstacle and the year was turning out to be a pretty bad start for the first half.”
But he was then called up by the national team for the U21 Euros – and succeeded in get himself fit in time.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they claimed victory in the competition in the host nation, developing a formidable understanding in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who himself has excelled for the first team under the national coach.
And he has begun the current campaign just as strongly for Bournemouth, featuring in every game to guide them to the top five in the standings.
“Representing the national team would be among the most special occasions of my career,” Scott said recently.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to keep progressing as a player, keep enjoying football, getting better every day, and with luck I impress the England manager and get my chance.”
