When the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 spectators in 2019, his manager back then assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this youngster.”
That prediction turned out to be a bit of an understatement.
Now aged 22 and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the playmaker has just received his first summons to the full England squad.
His rise from non-league prodigy to possible international star is a proper throwback, a story rarely told 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 playing for England too,” Scott said previously.
“It’s been a incredible five or six years of my life, and circumstances have changed drastically for myself and my family.”
So in what way did Scott, known fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, end up at this level?
Developing in non-league
His path in football has not been a typical one.
He was part of four and a half years in Southampton’s youth system from the age of eight, leaving school early each Friday to fly from his island home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could attend training and play for the Saints’ youth teams.
Prior to his 13th birthday, though, they released him. Bournemouth were willing to offer Scott an opportunity and he was on the Cherries’ books for a time, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he opted to remain on the island and turn out for his hometown club.
“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over weekly was starting to feel a bit too much,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to relax at home with my friends at weekends because I missed almost four and a half years of doing that. To have that little bit of childhood back was something I definitely required.
“To gain some confidence by coming back and playing island football was huge for me. It was probably one of the most important factors that led me where I am today.”
When he was just 16, the teenager became the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a 57th-minute replacement in their league fixture at Phoenix Sports.
“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.
“People have witnessed that – his possession of the ball is exceptional, the manner he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Making a comeback to the pro ranks
Second-tier club Bristol City – chaired by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been tracking his early progress after an promising start in men’s football and arranged a try-out in late 2019.
“The whole experience was chaos,” said Scott. “Day one I joined the youth team, the next day I was with the first team, which was a complete surprise.
“On the Wednesday I featured for Guernsey FC in London, returned home and on the Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and scored a hat-trick. From that point a done deal for me to put pen to paper on a deal.”
In just 18 months, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut against Luton.
He went on to make eighty-three league outings for the Robins while in his teens, often being deployed as a wide defender – and occasionally in attack as a number 10 – such was his adaptability and versatility. Even at that young age and playing out of position he was the standout performer.
Thanks to his ability to carry the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he picked up the moniker ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and national team attacking midfielder Jack Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he won the second tier’s young player of the season honour, was selected in the league’s team of the year and was named Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I think he’ll play for England and I’m sure he will progress to the top of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s manager at Ashton Gate, remarked previously.
Less than 90 days later, he joined Bournemouth for a understood transfer fee of £25m.
Securing his major transfer
Scott experienced a challenging debut campaign with the club, waiting until the autumn to make his top-flight debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then finding himself inconsistent of the team.
His second campaign was just as disrupted, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for almost several 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.
“That felt like yet another obstacle and the year was shaping up as a pretty bad year for the first five months.”
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 Young Lions’ six games as they claimed victory in the competition in the host nation, forming a strong understanding in the middle with his teammate, who in turn has excelled for the first team with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has begun 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 among the most special moments of my life,” the player stated recently.
“The responsibility is mine, I must continue developing as a footballer, maintain my love for football, improving every day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the national coach and earn an opportunity.”
