Back when the young midfielder made his local team debut against Phoenix Sports before just 55 fans in 2019, his coach at the time assured, “there’s more to come from this youngster.”
That prediction proved to be something of an understatement.
Now aged 22 and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the midfielder has just received his first summons to the full Three Lions team.
His rise from non-league prodigy to potential England player is a true blast from the past, a story rarely told in the modern era.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was zero possibility of becoming a pro footballer, never mind featuring in the top division and playing for the national team as well,” Scott stated in a recent interview.
“It has been a crazy five or six years of my life, and circumstances have transformed drastically for me and my family.”
But in what way did Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself here?
Learning in the lower tiers
Scott’s football journey has been far from a conventional one.
He spent four and a half years in Southampton’s academy setup from the age of eight, skipping school each Friday to travel by air 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 decided to let him go. The Cherries gave Scott an opportunity and he remained with them for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind was not in it.
Rather, he opted to stay on Guernsey and play for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling every week was starting to feel a bit too much,” he recalled.
“All I desired to relax at home with my friends at the weekend because I missed nearly four and a half years of doing that. To have that little bit of childhood back was something I really required.
“To gain a bit of confidence by returning and playing local football was huge for me. It was probably one of the most important things that got me to this point.”
When he was just 16, the teenager made history as the most youthful appearance-maker in the club’s records when he was introduced as a second-half replacement in their league fixture at Phoenix Sports.
“I’ve been having trouble sleeping because I was figuring out how I could get him in the team because he’s that good,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance stated back then.
“People have witnessed that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the manner he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Making a comeback to the professional game
Championship side Bristol City – chaired by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring his early progress after an impressive beginning in men’s football and gave him a trial in December 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” said the player. “Day one I joined the youth team, the next day I was with the senior squad, which was a total surprise.
“On the Wednesday I played for Guernsey FC in London, travelled back and by Friday, I took the field for Bristol City Under-18s and netted a hat-trick. It was almost a done deal for me to sign a deal.”
Within a year and a half, even well before his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut against the Hatters.
He went on to make eighty-three league appearances for the club while still a teenager, frequently being deployed as a wide defender – and occasionally in attack as a attacking midfielder – such was his versatility and versatility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was their best player.
With his skill to drive the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and England attacking midfielder Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the EFL Championship’s young player of the season honour, was chosen in the league’s best XI and was voted Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.
“Without question, I believe he’ll play for his country and I think he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the game,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s boss at Ashton Gate, stated last year.
Within 90 days after, he joined Bournemouth for a understood transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his major transfer
The midfielder endured a challenging first season with the club, having to wait until October to earn his top-flight debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then being in and out of the team.
His second campaign was just as disrupted, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for nearly several months.
“I had a decent run at the end of last season, which was good to have, then I fractured my jaw,” said he.
“That felt like almost 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 Under-21 European Championships – and managed to get himself fit for the tournament.
He started five of the England U21s’ six games as they claimed victory in the tournament in Slovakia, forming a strong understanding in midfield with his teammate, who in turn has gone on to impress for the first team with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has begun this season equally as strongly for his club, playing in all matches to guide them to fifth in the table.
“To play for the national team would be among the most special moments of my career,” the player stated 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 hopefully I catch the eye of the England manager and earn an opportunity.”
