Back when the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his manager back then predicted, “there’s more to come from this youngster.”
This statement turned out to be something of an understatement.
Now aged 22 and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the midfielder has just received his maiden summons to the senior Three Lions squad.
His ascent from non-league prodigy to possible international star is a true throwback, a journey seldom told in the modern game.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was zero possibility of making it as a pro footballer, let alone playing in the Premier League and playing for the national team too,” the player said in a recent interview.
“It has been a crazy half-dozen years of my life, and circumstances have transformed drastically for myself and my loved ones.”
So in what way did Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself at this level?
Developing in the lower tiers
His path in football has been far from a typical one.
He was part of over four years in the Saints’ youth system from the age of eight, skipping school each Friday to fly from his home on the Channel Island to the south coast so he could attend training and play for the Saints’ youth teams.
Before he turned 13, however, 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 heart wasn’t fully committed.
Instead, he opted to stay on the island and turn out for his local team.
“My form had dipped and flying over weekly was starting to feel overwhelming,” he explained.
“All I desired to chill at my home with my mates at the weekend because I had missed almost several years of doing that. Getting that little bit of youth again was a thing I really required.
“Building some confidence by coming back and taking part in island football was huge for me. It was probably the most crucial things that led me to this point.”
At the age of 16, Scott became the youngest player in the club’s records when he came on as a second-half replacement in their Isthmian League fixture at the opposition.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was figuring out how I could include him in the team because his talent is obvious,” manager Tony Vance stated at the time.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is exceptional, the way he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Making a comeback to the professional game
Championship side Bristol City – owned by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring Scott’s early progress after an impressive start in men’s football and arranged a trial in December 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” said the player. “The first day I trained with the under-18s, the second day I was with the first team, which was a complete surprise.
“Midweek I featured for Guernsey FC in London, returned home and by Friday, I took the field for Bristol City Under-18s and netted a hat-trick. It was almost a certainty for me to sign a deal.”
In just a year and a half, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut against the Hatters.
He went on to make 83 league outings for the Robins while still a teenager, frequently being used as a wide defender – and sometimes further forward as a attacking midfielder – demonstrating his adaptability and flexibility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
Thanks to his ability to carry the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the moniker ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and national team playmaker Jack Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 season he claimed the second tier’s young player of the season award, was selected in the division’s team of the year and was named the club’s player and young player of the Year.
“Without question, I believe he’ll play for England and I’m sure he will progress to the pinnacle of the game,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s boss at Ashton Gate, remarked last year.
Less than three months after, he joined the Cherries for a understood fee of £25m.
Getting his major transfer
Scott endured a challenging debut campaign with the club, waiting until October to make his top-flight debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then being inconsistent of the starting XI.
His second campaign was equally affected, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for almost four months.
“There was a decent run at the end of last season, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained he.
“It was almost another setback and the year was shaping up as a pretty bad start for the first half.”
But he was then selected by England for the Under-21 European Championships – and managed to regain fitness for the tournament.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they claimed victory in the competition in Slovakia, developing a strong understanding in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who himself has excelled for the senior side under the national coach.
And he has begun this season equally as impressively for his club, featuring in all matches to help them to fifth in the standings.
“Representing the national team would be among the most special occasions of my life,” Scott stated earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I must keep progressing as a player, maintain my love for the game, improving every day, and hopefully I impress the national coach and get my chance.”
