Back when the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 fans in 2019, his manager back then assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this youngster.”
That statement proved to be something of an underestimation.
Now aged 22 and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the playmaker has just received his maiden call-up to the full England team.
His rise from non-league prodigy to potential England player is a proper throwback, a story seldom told in the modern game.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was zero possibility of becoming a pro footballer, never mind playing in the Premier League and representing the national team too,” Scott stated in a recent interview.
“It has been a crazy half-dozen years of my life, and circumstances have changed completely for me and my family.”
So in what way did Scott, known fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself at this level?
Learning in the lower tiers
His football journey has been far from a conventional one.
He spent over four years in the Saints’ academy setup starting at eight, skipping school every Friday to fly from his island home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could train and play for the club’s academy sides.
Before his 13th birthday, however, they released him. Bournemouth were willing to offer Scott an opportunity 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 stay on the island and play for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and traveling weekly was becoming overwhelming,” he explained.
“I just wanted to relax at my home with my mates at the weekend because I had missed nearly several years of that experience. Getting that little bit of childhood back was something I really needed.
“Building a bit of self-belief by returning and playing island football was massive for me. That proved to be perhaps one of the most important factors that led me to this point.”
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 Phoenix Sports.
“I had 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 at the time.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is exceptional, the manner he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”
Making a comeback to the professional game
Second-tier club the Robins – owned by Guernsey resident their owner – had been tracking Scott’s early progress after an impressive beginning in adult football and gave him a trial in December 2019.
“The whole experience was chaos,” recalled the player. “The first day I joined the youth team, the next day I trained with the first team, which was a complete shock.
“On the Wednesday I played for Guernsey FC in London, returned home and by Friday, I took the field for Bristol City Under-18s and netted a hat-trick. From that point a certainty for me to sign a deal.”
In just a year and a half, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut versus the Hatters.
He made 83 league appearances for the club while still a teenager, frequently being used as a wing-back – and occasionally in attack as a number 10 – demonstrating his versatility and flexibility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
Thanks to his skill to carry the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he picked up the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and England playmaker Jack Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 season he claimed the second tier’s best young player honour, was chosen in the division’s best XI and was voted the club’s player and young player of the Year.
“No doubt, I believe he’ll play for England and I’m sure he’ll go on to the top of the sport,” his former manager, Scott’s boss at Ashton Gate, stated last year.
Less than 90 days after, he joined the Cherries for a understood transfer fee of £25m.
Securing his major transfer
The midfielder experienced a difficult first season with the Cherries, having to wait until the autumn to earn his Premier League debut after a knee problem in the summer, and then finding himself inconsistent of the team.
His following season was equally affected, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for nearly several months.
“I had quite a good run at the close of last season, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained Scott.
“It was yet another setback and the year was turning out to be a pretty bad year 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 Young Lions’ six matches as they claimed victory in the competition in the host nation, developing a formidable understanding in the middle with his teammate, who in turn has gone on to impress for the senior side under Thomas Tuchel.
And he has begun the current campaign just as strongly for Bournemouth, featuring in all matches to help them to fifth in the standings.
“To play for the England senior team would be among the most special moments of my life,” the player stated recently.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to continue developing as a player, maintain my love for football, getting better every day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the England manager and earn an opportunity.”
