When the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports before just 55 spectators in 2019, his manager back then assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”
That prediction turned out to be something of an understatement.
Today 22 years old and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the midfielder has just received his maiden call-up to the full England team.
His ascent from eighth-tier talent to possible international star is a true blast from the past, a story seldom told in the modern game.
What’s next? A major tournament?
“In my mind, there was no chance of becoming a pro footballer, never mind featuring in the Premier League and playing for England too,” the player stated previously.
“It’s been a crazy half-dozen years of my life, and things have transformed drastically for me and my family.”
But how did Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself at this level?
Learning in non-league
His path in football has been far from a typical one.
He spent over four years in Southampton’s academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early each Friday to fly from his island home on Guernsey 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. The Cherries gave him an opportunity and he remained with them for a while, but, as he later admitted, his mind was not in it.
Rather, he opted to remain on Guernsey and play for his hometown club.
“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling every week was becoming overwhelming,” he explained.
“I just wanted to chill at my home with my friends at the weekend because I had missed almost several years of doing that. Getting that slice of childhood again was a thing I really required.
“To gain some confidence by coming back and playing island football was huge for me. It was perhaps the most crucial things that got me to this point.”
At the age of 16, the teenager made history as the youngest player in the club’s records when he came on as a second-half replacement in their league match at Phoenix Sports.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the side because his talent is obvious,” manager Tony Vance commented back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is exceptional, the way he runs with the ball, he’s a class act.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Second-tier club Bristol City – owned by islander Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring his development after an impressive start in men’s football and gave him a try-out in late 2019.
“It was chaos,” said Scott. “The first day I joined the youth team, the next day I was with the first team, which was a total shock.
“On the Wednesday I featured for his local side in the capital, travelled back and on the Friday, I played for the youth team and scored a three goals. It was almost a certainty for me to sign a contract.”
Within 18 months, still well before his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut against the Hatters.
Scott went on to make 83 league appearances for the club while in his teens, often being used as a wide defender – and occasionally in attack as a attacking midfielder – such was his versatility and flexibility. Even at that young age and not in his natural role he was their best player.
Thanks to his skill to drive the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he picked up the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to 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 selected in the league’s best XI and was voted Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.
“No doubt, I think he will represent his country and I think he will progress to the pinnacle of the game,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s boss at the club, remarked last year.
Less than three months after, he signed for the Cherries for a reported transfer fee of £25m.
Securing his major transfer
The midfielder endured a difficult first season with the club, having to wait until the autumn to make his top-flight debut after a knee problem in the summer, and then finding himself inconsistent of the starting XI.
His following season was just as affected, this time by a surgery which ruled him out for almost four months.
“There was a decent run at the close of last season, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained Scott.
“That felt like almost another obstacle and it was turning out to be quite a terrible start for the first five months.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the Under-21 European Championships – and succeeded in regain fitness in time.
He started five of the Young Lions’ six games as they went on to win the tournament in the host nation, developing a formidable partnership in midfield with his teammate, who in turn has excelled for the first team with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started this season just as impressively for his club, featuring in every game to guide them to the top five in the standings.
“Representing the national team would be one of the proudest occasions of my life,” Scott said earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to continue developing as a footballer, keep enjoying football, getting better day on day, and with luck I catch the eye of the national coach and get my chance.”
