When the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 fans in 2019, his coach at the time predicted, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
That prediction turned out to be a bit of an underestimation.
Now 22 years old and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the playmaker has just received his first summons to the full England team.
His ascent from non-league prodigy to possible international star is a true throwback, a story rarely seen in the modern game.
Next stop? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was zero possibility of becoming a professional football player, never mind playing in the top division and playing for the national team too,” Scott said previously.
“It has been a crazy half-dozen years of my life, and circumstances have transformed completely for myself and my family.”
So how did Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself here?
Learning in the lower tiers
Scott’s football journey has not been a conventional one.
He was part of four and a half years in the Saints’ academy setup from the age of eight, leaving school early every Friday to travel by air from his home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could train and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.
Before he turned 13, though, they released him. The Cherries gave Scott an opportunity and he remained with them for a while, but, as he later admitted, his heart wasn’t fully committed.
Instead, he opted to remain on Guernsey and turn out for his hometown club.
“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling weekly was starting to feel a bit too much,” he explained.
“All I desired to chill at my home with my mates at the weekend because I missed nearly several years of doing that. To have that little bit of youth back was something I definitely needed.
“To gain some confidence by coming back and playing island football was massive for me. That proved to be perhaps the most crucial factors that led me to this point.”
At the age of 16, the teenager became the youngest player in the club’s records when he was introduced as a second-half replacement in their league fixture at Phoenix Sports.
“I’ve been having trouble sleeping because I was figuring out how I could include him in the side because he’s that good,” manager Tony Vance stated back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is exceptional, the way he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”
Making a comeback to the professional game
Second-tier club the Robins – chaired by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been tracking Scott’s early progress after an promising start in adult football and arranged a trial in December 2019.
“It was hectic,” said Scott. “Day one I trained with the youth team, the next day I was with the first team, which was a total shock.
“Midweek I played for his local side in the capital, returned home and on the Friday, I played for the youth team and netted a three goals. It was almost a done deal for me to sign a contract.”
Within a year and a half, even well before his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut versus the Hatters.
He made eighty-three league outings for the club while in his teens, frequently being used as a wide defender – and occasionally further forward as a number 10 – demonstrating his versatility and flexibility. Even at that young age and not in his natural role he was their best player.
With his skill to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he picked up the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a nod to City and England playmaker Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the EFL Championship’s best young player honour, was selected in the division’s team of the year and was voted the club’s player and young player of the Year.
“No doubt, I believe he’ll play for his country and I’m sure he will progress to the top of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s boss at the club, stated last year.
Less than three months after, he signed for the Cherries for a understood transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing his big move
Scott endured 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 finding himself in and out of the team.
His second campaign was just as affected, this time by a knee operation which ruled him out for almost several months.
“I had quite a good run at the close of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained Scott.
“It was almost another obstacle and it was shaping up as quite a terrible year for the first half.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the U21 Euros – and succeeded in regain fitness in time.
He started five of the England U21s’ six matches as they claimed victory in the tournament in the host nation, forming a strong partnership in midfield with his teammate, who in turn has gone on to impress for the first team with the national coach.
And he has started the current campaign equally as strongly for Bournemouth, featuring in all matches to help them to the top five in the standings.
“To play for the national team would be among the most special occasions of my life,” the player said recently.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to keep progressing as a footballer, keep enjoying the game, improving every day, and with luck I impress the England manager and get my chance.”
