Back when the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 fans in 2019, his coach back then assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”
That prediction proved to be something of an understatement.
Now 22 years old and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the playmaker has earned his maiden summons to the full England team.
His rise from non-league prodigy to possible England player is a true throwback, a journey rarely seen in the modern game.
Next stop? A major tournament?
“In my mind, there was no chance of becoming a professional football player, never mind playing in the top division and playing for the national team too,” the player said in a recent interview.
“It has been a incredible five or six years of my life, and things have changed completely for me and my loved ones.”
But in what way did Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up at this level?
Learning in non-league
Scott’s football journey has been far from a conventional one.
He spent over four years in Southampton’s academy setup from the age of eight, skipping school each Friday to fly from his island home on the Channel Island to the mainland so he could train and feature for the club’s academy sides.
Before he turned 13, though, they released him. The Cherries were willing to offer him an option and he remained with them for a while, but, as he later admitted, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Instead, he chose to stay on the island and play for his local team.
“My form had dipped and flying over every week was starting to feel a bit too much,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to chill at my home with my friends at weekends because I missed almost several years of doing that. Getting that slice of childhood back was something I definitely required.
“To gain some self-belief by coming back and playing local football was massive for me. That proved to be perhaps one of the most important things that got me where I am today.”
At the age of 16, Scott made history as the youngest player in the club’s records when he came on as a second-half substitute in their Isthmian League match at the opposition.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the side because he’s that good,” manager the coach stated at the time.
“People have witnessed that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the way he runs with the ball, he’s a class act.”
Making a comeback to the professional game
Championship side the Robins – chaired by islander their owner – had been monitoring Scott’s early progress after an impressive beginning in men’s football and arranged a try-out in late 2019.
“The whole experience was chaos,” recalled the player. “The first day I trained with the under-18s, the next day I was with the senior squad, which was a total shock.
“On the Wednesday I featured 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 put pen to paper on a deal.”
In just a year and a half, still well before his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut against the Hatters.
He made eighty-three league outings for the Robins while still a teenager, often being used as a wide defender – and occasionally further forward as a attacking midfielder – such was his adaptability and flexibility. 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 picked up the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a reference to City and national team playmaker Jack Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he claimed the EFL Championship’s young player of the season honour, was chosen in the league’s best XI and was voted the club’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I believe he’ll play for England and I think he will progress to the top of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s manager at the club, remarked previously.
Within three months later, he signed for the Cherries for a reported fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing his big move
The midfielder experienced a difficult first season with the Cherries, waiting until the autumn to earn his top-flight debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then finding himself inconsistent of the starting XI.
His second campaign was equally affected, this time by a surgery which ruled him out for almost four months.
“There was quite a good run at the end of last season, which was good to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained Scott.
“It was almost another obstacle and the year 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 started five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they claimed victory in the competition in Slovakia, forming a formidable understanding in the middle with his teammate, who in turn has gone on to impress for the first team with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started the current campaign equally as strongly for Bournemouth, playing in all matches to guide them to the top five in the table.
“Representing the England senior team would be one of the proudest occasions of my career,” the player stated recently.
“The responsibility is mine, I must keep progressing as a player, maintain my love for the game, getting better day on day, and with luck I catch the eye of the national coach and get my chance.”
