Back when the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports before just 55 fans in 2019, his coach at the time predicted, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”
That prediction proved to be something of an understatement.
Now 22 years old and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the playmaker has just received his maiden call-up to the senior England squad.
His ascent from non-league prodigy to potential international star is a true throwback, a story seldom told in the modern era.
Next stop? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was zero possibility of making it as a professional football player, never mind playing in the Premier League and representing England 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 family.”
So in what way did Scott, known affectionately as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, end up here?
Learning in non-league
Scott’s path in football 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, skipping school every Friday to travel by air from his home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could train and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.
Before his 13th birthday, though, they decided to let him go. The Cherries were willing to offer him an opportunity and he remained with them for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he chose to stay on the island and play for his hometown club.
“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over every week was becoming overwhelming,” he explained.
“All I desired to chill at 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 really needed.
“Building a bit of confidence by coming back and playing island football was huge for me. It was probably the most crucial factors that led me to this point.”
When he was just 16, Scott made history as the youngest player in the club’s records when he was introduced as a 57th-minute substitute in their league match at the opposition.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was figuring out how I could get him in the team because he’s that good,” manager Tony Vance commented at the time.
“People have witnessed that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the manner he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Championship side the Robins – chaired by islander their owner – had been tracking his development after an impressive start in men’s football and arranged a try-out in late 2019.
“It was hectic,” said the player. “Day one I trained with the under-18s, the second day I trained with the senior squad, which was a total surprise.
“Midweek I played for his local side in the capital, travelled back and by Friday, I took the field for the youth team and scored a three goals. From that point a done deal for me to sign a contract.”
Within 18 months, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his first-team debut against the Hatters.
Scott went on to make eighty-three league appearances for the Robins while still a teenager, often being deployed as a wing-back – and occasionally in attack as a number 10 – such was his versatility and flexibility. Despite his youth and playing out of position he was their best player.
Thanks to his ability to carry the ball up the pitch, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he picked up the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and national team playmaker Jack Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the EFL Championship’s young player of the season award, was chosen in the league’s team of the year and was voted Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.
“No doubt, I think he’ll play for his country and I’m sure he will progress to the top of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s boss at the club, stated last year.
Less than 90 days after, he signed for Bournemouth for a understood transfer fee of £25m.
Securing his major transfer
Scott experienced a challenging first season with the club, waiting until the autumn to make his Premier League debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then being in and out of the team.
His following season was equally affected, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for almost four months.
“There was a decent run at the end of last season, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained he.
“That felt like yet another setback and it was shaping up as quite a terrible start for the first half.”
But he was then called up by England for the U21 Euros – and managed to get himself fit for the tournament.
He started five of the England U21s’ six games as they went on to win the tournament in Slovakia, developing a strong understanding in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has excelled for the first team under the national coach.
And he has started this season just as impressively for his club, playing in all matches to help them to the top five in the standings.
“To play for the England senior team would be one of the proudest occasions of my career,” the player said earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to keep progressing as a player, keep enjoying football, improving day on day, and with luck I catch the eye of the England manager and get my chance.”
