When the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports before just 55 spectators in 2019, his coach back then assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
That statement turned out to be a bit of an underestimation.
Now aged 22 and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the midfielder has earned his first call-up to the full Three Lions team.
His rise from non-league prodigy to possible international star is a proper blast from the past, a story seldom seen in the modern era.
Next stop? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was zero possibility of becoming a pro footballer, never mind playing in the top division and representing England too,” Scott stated in a recent interview.
“It has been a crazy five or six years of my life, and things have transformed completely for me and my family.”
So how did Scott, known fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself at this level?
Learning in the lower tiers
His path in football has been far from a conventional one.
He spent over four years in Southampton’s academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early each Friday to travel by air from his home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could attend training and play for the Saints’ youth teams.
Before his 13th birthday, however, they decided to let him go. Bournemouth gave him an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a time, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he opted to remain on the island and turn out for his local team.
“My form had dipped and flying over weekly was becoming overwhelming,” he explained.
“All I desired to relax at home with my friends at weekends because I had missed almost several years of doing that. To have that little bit of youth again was a thing I definitely required.
“To gain some confidence by returning and playing local football was massive for me. It was probably one of the most important things that got me to this point.”
When he was just 16, Scott became the most youthful appearance-maker in the club’s records when he came on as a 57th-minute replacement in their league fixture at Phoenix Sports.
“I’ve been having trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the team because his talent is obvious,” manager the coach commented back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is exceptional, the manner he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”
Returning to the professional game
Second-tier club the Robins – owned by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring his development after an impressive start in men’s football and arranged a trial in late 2019.
“It was chaos,” recalled Scott. “Day one I joined the youth team, the second day I was with the first team, which was a total surprise.
“Midweek I featured for his local side in London, returned home and by Friday, I took the field for the youth team and scored a three goals. It was almost a certainty for me to sign a contract.”
Within a year and a half, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his first-team debut versus the Hatters.
He made 83 league appearances for the Robins while in his teens, frequently being used as a wing-back – and occasionally further forward as a number 10 – demonstrating his versatility and versatility. Even at that young age and playing out of position he was the standout performer.
With his ability to drive 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 England attacking midfielder Jack Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the second tier’s young player of the season award, was selected in the division’s best XI and was named the club’s player and young player of the Year.
“Without question, I think he’ll play for his country and I’m sure he will progress to the top of the sport,” his former manager, Scott’s boss at the club, stated previously.
Within three months later, he signed for the Cherries for a reported transfer fee of £25m.
Securing his big move
The midfielder endured a challenging debut campaign with the Cherries, having to wait until the autumn to make his top-flight debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then being inconsistent of the team.
His second campaign was just as affected, this time by a surgery which ruled him out for almost several months.
“I had a decent run at the end of last season, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” said he.
“That felt like yet another setback and the year was shaping up as a pretty bad start for the first half.”
But he was then selected by England for the U21 Euros – and succeeded in regain fitness for the tournament.
He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six matches as they went on to win the tournament in the host nation, forming a formidable partnership in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who himself has gone on to impress for the senior side under Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started the current campaign equally as strongly for Bournemouth, featuring in all matches to guide them to the top five 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, improving every day, and with luck I catch the eye of the England manager and earn an opportunity.”
