When the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 fans in 2019, his coach back then assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
That statement turned out to be something of an underestimation.
Today aged 22 and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the midfielder has earned his first summons to the senior England squad.
His rise from non-league prodigy to possible England player is a proper blast from the past, a journey seldom seen in the modern game.
Next stop? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was zero possibility of making it as a pro footballer, never mind featuring in the Premier League and playing for England too,” Scott stated in a recent interview.
“It’s been a incredible half-dozen years of my life, and circumstances have transformed drastically for myself and my loved ones.”
But how did Scott, known fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up at this level?
Developing in the lower tiers
Scott’s football journey has been far from a conventional one.
He was part of over four years in Southampton’s academy setup from the age of eight, skipping school every Friday to travel by air from his island home on the Channel Island to the south coast so he could train and play for the club’s academy sides.
Before his 13th birthday, however, they released him. The Cherries gave him an opportunity and he remained with them for a time, but, as he later admitted, his heart was not in it.
Rather, he chose to remain on the island and play for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and traveling every week was starting to feel overwhelming,” he recalled.
“All I desired to relax at my home with my mates at weekends because I missed almost several years of doing that. Getting that little bit of childhood back was a thing I really needed.
“To gain some confidence by returning and playing local football was massive for me. It was probably the most crucial things that led me to this point.”
When he was just 16, the teenager made history as the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he came on as a 57th-minute substitute in their league fixture at Phoenix Sports.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was figuring out how I could get him in the team because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss the coach stated back then.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the way he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”
Making a comeback to the professional game
Championship side Bristol City – owned by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been tracking Scott’s development after an impressive start in adult football and gave him a trial in late 2019.
“It was hectic,” recalled Scott. “Day one I trained with the under-18s, the next day I trained with the senior squad, which was a total shock.
“Midweek I featured for his local side in the capital, returned home and by Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and netted a hat-trick. From that point a done deal for me to sign a deal.”
In just 18 months, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut versus Luton.
Scott went on to make 83 league appearances for the Robins while in his teens, frequently being deployed as a wing-back – and occasionally in attack as a attacking midfielder – demonstrating his adaptability and versatility. Despite his youth and playing out of position he was the standout performer.
With his skill to drive the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and national team playmaker Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he claimed the EFL Championship’s young player of the season honour, was chosen in the division’s best XI and was voted the club’s top player and top youngster.
“No doubt, I believe he will represent England and I’m sure he will progress to the top of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s boss at the club, remarked previously.
Within three months after, he joined Bournemouth for a understood fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing his major transfer
Scott endured a challenging first season with the club, waiting until October to earn his top-flight debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then finding himself inconsistent of the team.
His following season was just as disrupted, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for almost four months.
“I had quite a good run at the close of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” said Scott.
“That felt like yet another obstacle and it was shaping up as a pretty bad year for the first half.”
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 Young Lions’ six matches as they claimed victory in the tournament in the host nation, forming a formidable understanding in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has excelled for the first team under the national coach.
And he has started the current campaign equally as impressively for his club, featuring in every game to help them to fifth in the table.
“Representing the national team would be one of the proudest moments of my career,” the player stated recently.
“It’s down to me, I must continue developing as a footballer, keep enjoying the game, improving day on day, and with luck I impress the national coach and earn an opportunity.”
