When the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 fans in 2019, his manager at the time assured, “there’s more to come from this youngster.”
That statement proved to be something of an underestimation.
Now aged 22 and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the midfielder has earned his first summons to the full England team.
His ascent from eighth-tier talent to possible England player is a proper throwback, a journey seldom seen in the modern era.
Next stop? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was no chance of making it as a pro footballer, never mind featuring in the top division and representing England too,” Scott said previously.
“It’s been a incredible five or six years of my life, and things have transformed drastically for myself and my family.”
So how did Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself at this level?
Developing in the lower tiers
Scott’s football journey has not been a typical one.
He spent four and a half years in the Saints’ academy setup from the age of eight, skipping school each Friday to travel by air from his home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could train and feature for the club’s academy sides.
Before he turned 13, though, they released him. Bournemouth were willing to offer him an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, as he later admitted, his heart was not in it.
Rather, he chose to stay on the island and turn out 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 mates at weekends because I had missed almost several years of that experience. To have that little bit of youth back was something I definitely needed.
“Building some confidence by returning and playing local football was huge for me. It was probably the most crucial things that got me to this point.”
When he was just 16, Scott made history as the most youthful appearance-maker in the club’s records when he came on as a second-half replacement in their Isthmian League fixture at the opposition.
“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the side because he’s that good,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance commented at the time.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the manner he runs with the ball, he’s a class act.”
Returning to the professional game
Championship side the Robins – chaired by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring Scott’s development after an impressive start in adult football and arranged a trial in late 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” recalled Scott. “Day one I trained with the under-18s, the next day I was with the first team, which was a total shock.
“Midweek I played for his local side in the capital, travelled back and on the Friday, I took the field for Bristol City Under-18s and netted a three goals. From that point a certainty for me to put pen to paper on a deal.”
In just 18 months, even well before his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut against the Hatters.
He went on to make 83 league outings for the Robins while still a teenager, frequently being used as a wing-back – and occasionally in attack as a number 10 – such was his adaptability and flexibility. Despite his youth and playing out of position he was their best player.
With his skill to carry the ball up the pitch, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he picked up the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to City and England playmaker Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the EFL Championship’s best young player honour, was selected in the league’s team of the year and was named Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“No doubt, I think he will represent England and I’m sure he will progress to the top of the game,” his former manager, the player’s boss at Ashton Gate, remarked last year.
Within 90 days after, he joined Bournemouth for a reported transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing his big move
The midfielder experienced a challenging debut campaign with the Cherries, waiting until the autumn to make his Premier League debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then being inconsistent of the team.
His second campaign was equally affected, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for almost four months.
“I had a decent run at the close of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained he.
“That felt like almost another obstacle and the year was shaping up as quite a terrible year for the first five months.”
But he was then called up by England for the U21 Euros – and succeeded in get himself fit in time.
He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six games as they claimed victory in the tournament in Slovakia, developing a strong partnership in midfield with his teammate, who in turn has excelled for the first team under the national coach.
And he has begun this season just as strongly for his club, featuring in every game 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 life,” the player said earlier this season.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to continue developing as a player, keep enjoying the game, improving day on day, and with luck I impress the national coach and earn an opportunity.”
