Back when the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his manager back then assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”
That statement turned out to be a bit of an understatement.
Now 22 years old and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the playmaker has earned his first call-up to the senior England team.
His rise from non-league prodigy to potential England player is a proper blast from the past, a journey rarely seen in the modern game.
What’s next? A major tournament?
“In my mind, there was no chance of making it as a pro footballer, never mind featuring in the Premier League and playing for the national team as well,” the player said in a recent interview.
“It’s been a incredible five or six years of my life, and circumstances have transformed drastically for me and my loved ones.”
But how did Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself here?
Developing in the lower tiers
Scott’s path in football has been far from a typical one.
He was part of over four 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 mainland so he could attend training and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.
Prior to he turned 13, though, they released him. Bournemouth gave him an option and he remained with them for a time, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind was not in it.
Rather, he chose to remain on the island and turn out for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and traveling every week was becoming a bit too much,” he explained.
“I just wanted to chill at home with my mates at weekends because I missed almost several years of doing that. To have that slice of childhood back was a thing I really needed.
“Building a bit of self-belief by returning and playing island football was massive for me. It was probably the most crucial factors that led me to this point.”
When he was just 16, Scott became the youngest player in the club’s records when he came on as a 57th-minute replacement in their Isthmian League fixture at Phoenix Sports.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the team because his talent is obvious,” manager Tony Vance commented back then.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is exceptional, the manner he runs with the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Second-tier club the Robins – chaired by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring Scott’s development after an promising 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 first team, which was a total surprise.
“Midweek I played for his local side in London, returned home and on the Friday, I took the field for the youth team and netted a hat-trick. From that point a done deal for me to put pen to paper on a contract.”
Within a year and a half, still well before his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut versus Luton.
He made 83 league appearances for the club while in his teens, often being deployed as a wide defender – and sometimes further forward as a number 10 – demonstrating his versatility and versatility. Despite his youth and playing out of position he was their best player.
With his skill to drive the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he picked up the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and national team playmaker Jack Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 season he won the EFL Championship’s young player of the season award, was selected in the league’s team of the year and was voted the club’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I think he will represent his country and I’m sure he will progress to the pinnacle of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s manager at the club, remarked previously.
Less than three months later, he joined the Cherries for a understood transfer fee of £25m.
Getting his big move
Scott experienced a challenging first season with the club, having to wait until October to make his top-flight debut after a knee problem in the summer, and then being inconsistent of the team.
His following season was just as affected, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for nearly four months.
“There was quite a good run at the end of last season, which was good to have, then I fractured my jaw,” said he.
“It was almost another setback and it was turning out to be quite a terrible year for the first half.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the Under-21 European Championships – and succeeded in get himself fit for the tournament.
He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six matches as they went on to win the competition in Slovakia, forming a formidable understanding in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who himself has excelled for the senior side under Thomas Tuchel.
And he has begun this season just as strongly for his club, playing in all matches to guide them to the top five in the standings.
“Representing the national team would be among the most special moments of my life,” Scott said earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to keep progressing as a player, maintain my love for the game, improving every day, and hopefully I impress the England manager and get my chance.”
