Back when the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his local team debut versus Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his manager at the time predicted, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”
That statement proved to be something of an understatement.
Now 22 years old and an established top-flight player with Bournemouth, the midfielder has earned his first call-up to the full England squad.
His ascent from non-league prodigy to potential England player is a proper blast from the past, a story rarely seen in the modern game.
Next stop? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was no chance of making it as a pro footballer, never mind featuring in the top division and representing the national team too,” Scott said previously.
“It’s been a crazy five or six years of my life, and circumstances have transformed completely for myself and my family.”
But how did Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up at this level?
Learning in non-league
His path in football has been far from a typical one.
He was part of four and a half years in the Saints’ academy setup from the age of eight, leaving school early every Friday to fly from his home on the Channel Island to the south coast so he could train and feature for the club’s academy sides.
Before his 13th birthday, however, they released him. Bournemouth were willing to offer him an opportunity and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, as he later admitted, his mind was not in it.
Instead, he chose to remain on Guernsey and play for his hometown club.
“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over every week was becoming a bit too much,” he explained.
“All I desired to chill at home with my mates at the weekend because I missed nearly four and a half years of that experience. Getting that slice of childhood again was something I really needed.
“Building a bit of confidence by coming back and playing island football was huge for me. That proved to be probably the most crucial things that led me to this point.”
At the age of 16, Scott became the most youthful appearance-maker in Guernsey’s history when he came on as a 57th-minute substitute in their league match at the opposition.
“I had sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could include him in the team because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss the coach commented at the time.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his retention of the ball is exceptional, the manner he runs with the ball, he’s a class act.”
Returning to the professional game
Second-tier club Bristol City – chaired by islander their owner – had been tracking his development after an impressive start in adult football and arranged a try-out in December 2019.
“It was chaos,” said the player. “Day one I trained with the youth team, the next day I trained with the first team, which was a total shock.
“On the Wednesday I featured for Guernsey FC in London, travelled back and by Friday, I played for the youth team and netted a three goals. It was almost a certainty for me to sign a deal.”
Within a year and a half, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut against Luton.
Scott made eighty-three league appearances for the Robins while still a teenager, frequently being used as a wing-back – and sometimes in attack as a attacking midfielder – demonstrating his adaptability and versatility. Despite his youth and playing out of position he was the standout performer.
With his skill to carry the ball up the pitch, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the moniker ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and England attacking midfielder Jack Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the EFL Championship’s young player of the season award, was chosen in the league’s best XI and was voted Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“No doubt, I believe he will represent England and I’m sure he’ll go on to the top of the game,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s manager at Ashton Gate, remarked last year.
Within three months after, he joined Bournemouth for a reported transfer fee of £25m.
Securing his big move
The midfielder experienced a challenging first season with the Cherries, having to wait until October to earn his Premier League debut after a knee problem in the summer, and then being in and out of the team.
His second campaign was equally disrupted, this time by a surgery which ruled him out for almost several months.
“There was a decent run at the close of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” said he.
“That felt like yet another setback and it was shaping up as a pretty bad start for the first five months.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the U21 Euros – and managed to regain fitness for the tournament.
He started five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they went on to win the tournament in the host nation, developing a formidable understanding in the middle with his teammate, who in turn has excelled for the senior side with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has begun this season equally as strongly for his club, playing in every game to help them to the top five in the standings.
“Representing the England senior team would be one of the proudest moments of my life,” the player said earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to continue developing as a footballer, maintain my love for football, improving every day, and with luck I impress the national coach and get my chance.”
