When the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his manager back then predicted, “there’s more to come from this youngster.”
That prediction turned out to be something of an underestimation.
Today aged 22 and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the midfielder has just received his first summons to the full England team.
His ascent from non-league prodigy to potential England player is a proper blast from the past, a journey seldom seen in the modern era.
What’s next? A major tournament?
“Back then, there was zero possibility of making it as a pro footballer, let alone featuring in the top division and representing the national team as well,” Scott said previously.
“It has been a incredible half-dozen years of my life, and things have transformed drastically for me and my loved ones.”
But in what way did Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself here?
Learning in the lower tiers
His football journey has been far from a conventional one.
He was part of four and a half years in Southampton’s academy setup from the age of eight, leaving school early every Friday to fly from his island home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could attend training and play for the Saints’ youth teams.
Prior to his 13th birthday, however, they released him. Bournemouth were willing to offer Scott an option and he remained with them for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he opted to stay on Guernsey and play for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling weekly was becoming overwhelming,” 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 that experience. To have that little bit of youth back was something I really needed.
“Building a bit of confidence by returning and playing local football was huge for me. It was perhaps one of the most important factors that got me to this point.”
At the age of 16, the teenager became the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a 57th-minute substitute in their league fixture at the opposition.
“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could include him in the team because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance stated back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is exceptional, the way he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Championship side Bristol City – chaired by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring Scott’s early progress after an promising start in adult football and arranged a trial in late 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” recalled Scott. “The first day I joined the under-18s, the next day I trained with the first team, which was a total surprise.
“On the Wednesday I featured for his local side in the capital, travelled back and by Friday, I took the field for Bristol City Under-18s and netted a three goals. It was almost a certainty for me to put pen to paper on a deal.”
Within a year and a half, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut against the Hatters.
He made eighty-three league outings for the Robins while still a teenager, often being deployed as a wide defender – and sometimes in attack as a number 10 – such was his versatility and versatility. Even at that young age and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
With his skill to carry the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he picked up the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and England attacking midfielder Jack Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 season he won the second tier’s best young player award, was chosen in the league’s best XI and was named Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I believe he’ll play for England and I’m sure he will progress to the top of the sport,” his former manager, Scott’s boss at the club, stated last year.
Less than three months later, he signed for Bournemouth for a understood transfer fee of £25m.
Securing his major transfer
Scott experienced a difficult debut campaign 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 in and out of the starting XI.
His following season was just as disrupted, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for almost several months.
“I had a decent run at the end of the previous campaign, which was good to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained he.
“That felt like yet another setback and it was turning out to be a pretty bad start for the first half.”
But he was then selected by England for the U21 Euros – and succeeded in get himself fit for the tournament.
He started five of the England U21s’ six games as they claimed victory in the competition in the host nation, developing a formidable partnership in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who himself has gone on to impress for the first team under the national coach.
And he has begun this season just as strongly for Bournemouth, playing in every game to guide them to fifth in the standings.
“Representing the national team would be one of the proudest occasions of my life,” Scott stated recently.
“It’s down to me, I must continue developing as a footballer, maintain my love for football, getting better day on day, and with luck I catch the eye of the national coach and get my chance.”
