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 at the time predicted, “we haven’t seen the best from this youngster.”
That prediction turned out to be something of an understatement.
Today 22 years old and an established top-flight player with Bournemouth, the playmaker has just received his first call-up to the senior England team.
His ascent from eighth-tier talent to possible international star is a proper blast from the past, a story rarely seen in the modern era.
Next stop? A major tournament?
“In my mind, there was zero possibility of becoming a pro footballer, let alone featuring in the top division and playing for England as well,” Scott stated in a recent interview.
“It has been a crazy five or six years of my life, and things have changed completely for myself and my family.”
But in what way did Scott, known fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself at this level?
Learning in the lower tiers
His path in football has not been a typical one.
He spent four and a half years in Southampton’s academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early every Friday to travel by air from his home on the Channel Island to the south coast so he could attend training and feature for the club’s academy sides.
Before he turned 13, though, they released him. Bournemouth were willing to offer Scott an opportunity and he remained with them for a time, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart wasn’t fully committed.
Instead, he chose to stay on Guernsey and play for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and flying over weekly was starting to feel a bit too much,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to relax at my home with my mates at the weekend because I had missed nearly four and a half years of that experience. To have that little bit of youth again was something I really required.
“To gain some self-belief by returning and taking part in local football was massive for me. It was probably the most crucial things that got me to this point.”
At the age of 16, Scott became the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a second-half replacement in their league match at the opposition.
“I had sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could include him in the side because he’s that good,” Guernsey boss the coach commented back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the manner he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Making a comeback to the professional game
Championship side Bristol City – chaired by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring Scott’s development after an impressive beginning in men’s football and arranged a trial in late 2019.
“It was chaos,” recalled the player. “Day one I trained with the under-18s, the second day I trained with the first team, which was a complete shock.
“Midweek I played for Guernsey FC in London, returned home and on the Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and scored a three goals. It was almost a certainty for me to sign a deal.”
In just 18 months, even well before his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut versus Luton.
Scott went on to make 83 league outings for the club while in his teens, frequently being deployed as a wide defender – and occasionally further forward as a attacking midfielder – demonstrating his versatility and versatility. Even at that young age and not in his natural role he was their best player.
With his ability to carry the ball up the pitch, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he picked up the moniker ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a reference to City and national team attacking midfielder Jack Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 season he won the second tier’s young player of the season award, was selected in the league’s team of the year and was voted the club’s player and young player of the Year.
“No doubt, I think he’ll play for his country and I think he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the game,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s manager at Ashton Gate, stated previously.
Within three months after, he signed for the Cherries for a reported transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing his major transfer
The midfielder experienced a challenging first season with the club, having to wait until the autumn to earn his Premier League debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then finding himself inconsistent of the team.
His second campaign was equally disrupted, this time by a surgery which ruled him out for nearly several months.
“I had a decent run at the close of the previous campaign, which was good to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained he.
“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 England for the Under-21 European Championships – and succeeded in regain fitness in time.
He started five of the England U21s’ six matches as they claimed victory in the competition in Slovakia, forming a formidable understanding in the middle with his teammate, who himself has gone on to impress for the senior side with the national coach.
And he has begun the current campaign just as impressively for Bournemouth, playing in all matches to help them to fifth in the table.
“Representing the England senior team would be one of the proudest moments of my career,” Scott stated earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to continue developing as a player, maintain my love for football, improving every day, and hopefully I impress the national coach and get my chance.”
