When the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his local team debut against Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 fans in 2019, his coach at the time assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
That prediction turned out to be something of an underestimation.
Now aged 22 and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the midfielder has just received his first summons to the senior England squad.
His ascent from non-league prodigy to possible England player is a true blast from the past, a journey seldom told in the modern era.
What’s next? A major tournament?
“Back then, there was no chance of becoming a professional football player, never mind featuring in the top division and representing the national team as well,” the player stated in a recent interview.
“It’s been a crazy half-dozen years of my life, and things have transformed completely for myself and my loved ones.”
So how did Scott, known fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, end up at this level?
Developing in non-league
Scott’s football journey has been far from a conventional one.
He was part of four and a half years in the Saints’ youth system from the age of eight, leaving school early every Friday to fly from his island home on the Channel Island to the south coast so he could train and feature for the club’s academy sides.
Prior to his 13th birthday, however, they decided to let him go. The Cherries gave him an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, as he later admitted, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he opted to remain on Guernsey and turn out for his hometown club.
“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling weekly was starting to feel overwhelming,” he recalled.
“All I desired to relax at my home with my friends at the weekend because I missed nearly four and a half years of doing that. To have that slice of childhood back was a thing I definitely required.
“Building some confidence by coming back and taking part in local football was huge for me. It was perhaps one of the most important factors that led me to this point.”
When he was just 16, the teenager became the most youthful appearance-maker in Guernsey’s history when he came on as a second-half replacement in their Isthmian League match at Phoenix Sports.
“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the side because his talent is obvious,” manager the coach commented back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the manner he runs with the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Making a comeback to the pro ranks
Championship side Bristol City – owned by islander their owner – had been tracking his development after an impressive beginning in men’s football and gave him a trial in December 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” recalled the player. “The first day I joined the under-18s, the next day I trained with the first team, which was a complete surprise.
“Midweek I played 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.”
Within 18 months, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut against the Hatters.
He made 83 league appearances for the club while still a teenager, frequently 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 ability to carry the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he picked up the moniker ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and national team attacking midfielder Jack Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 season he won the EFL Championship’s best young player honour, was selected in the league’s best XI and was named the club’s top player and top youngster.
“No doubt, I think he will represent his country and I think he will progress to the pinnacle of the game,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s manager at Ashton Gate, stated previously.
Within 90 days later, he joined Bournemouth for a understood transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his big move
Scott experienced a challenging first season with the club, waiting until October to earn his Premier League debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then finding himself in and out of the team.
His second campaign was equally affected, this time by a knee operation which ruled him out for nearly four months.
“I had quite a good run at the close of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained he.
“It was yet another obstacle and the year was turning out to be quite a terrible start for the first five months.”
But he was then selected by England for the U21 Euros – and succeeded in regain fitness in time.
He started five of the England U21s’ six matches as they claimed victory in the competition in the host nation, forming a strong partnership in midfield with his teammate, who himself has excelled for the first team under Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started the current campaign just as impressively for his club, playing in all matches to guide 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 recently.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to keep progressing as a footballer, maintain my love for the game, getting better every day, and hopefully I impress the national coach and earn an opportunity.”
