Back when the young midfielder made his local team debut against Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 spectators in 2019, his manager at the time assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this youngster.”
This statement proved to be a bit of an understatement.
Today 22 years old and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the playmaker has earned his maiden call-up to the full England squad.
His ascent from eighth-tier talent to possible international star is a proper blast from the past, a journey rarely told in the modern era.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was no chance of becoming a professional football player, never mind featuring in the top division and playing for England as well,” the player stated in a recent interview.
“It’s been a crazy half-dozen years of my life, and things have transformed drastically for myself and my loved ones.”
So how did Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself at this level?
Developing in non-league
His path in football has not been a typical one.
He spent four and a half years in Southampton’s youth system starting at eight, skipping school every Friday to travel by air from his home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could attend training and feature for the club’s academy sides.
Prior to his 13th birthday, though, they decided to let him go. Bournemouth gave Scott an opportunity and he remained with them for a while, but, as he later admitted, his heart wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he opted to stay on Guernsey and play for his local team.
“My form had dipped and flying over weekly was becoming a bit too much,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to chill at home with my mates at the weekend because I missed almost four and a half years of doing that. Getting that slice of childhood back was something I definitely needed.
“Building a bit of confidence by returning and playing local football was huge for me. It was perhaps the most crucial things that got me where I am today.”
At the age of 16, the teenager became the most youthful appearance-maker in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a 57th-minute substitute in their Isthmian League match at the opposition.
“I had sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could get him in the team because his talent is obvious,” manager Tony Vance stated at the time.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the manner he runs with the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Second-tier club the Robins – chaired by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring Scott’s development after an impressive start in men’s football and arranged a try-out in December 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” said Scott. “Day one I joined the youth team, the second day I was with the first team, which was a complete shock.
“On the Wednesday I featured for his local side in London, travelled back and by Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and scored a hat-trick. It was almost a done deal for me to put pen to paper on a deal.”
In just 18 months, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut versus the Hatters.
He made eighty-three league outings for the Robins while still a teenager, frequently being deployed as a wing-back – and occasionally in attack as a attacking midfielder – such was his adaptability and versatility. Even at that young age and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
Thanks to his ability to carry the ball up the pitch, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and national team playmaker Jack Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the EFL Championship’s best young player honour, was chosen in the division’s best XI and was named Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.
“No doubt, I think he will represent England and I’m sure he will progress to the top of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s manager at Ashton Gate, remarked last year.
Less than 90 days after, he joined the Cherries for a understood transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing his big move
Scott experienced a challenging debut campaign with the club, waiting until October to earn his Premier League debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then finding himself in and out of the starting XI.
His following season was equally disrupted, this time by a surgery which ruled him out for almost several months.
“I had a decent run at the end of last season, which was good 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 five months.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the U21 Euros – and succeeded in regain fitness in time.
He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six games as they claimed victory in the competition in the host nation, forming a formidable partnership in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who himself has excelled for the first team with the national coach.
And he has begun the current campaign just as strongly for Bournemouth, featuring in all matches to guide them to fifth in the standings.
“To play for the national team would be among the most special occasions of my career,” the player stated recently.
“The responsibility is mine, I must continue developing as a player, keep enjoying the game, getting better day on day, and hopefully I impress the national coach and get my chance.”
