When the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his local team debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his manager back then predicted, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
That statement turned out to be a bit of an understatement.
Now 22 years old and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the midfielder has just received his first call-up to the senior England squad.
His rise from eighth-tier talent to possible England player is a true throwback, a journey seldom seen in the modern era.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“Back then, there was no chance of making it as a pro footballer, let alone featuring in the top division and representing England too,” the player stated in a recent interview.
“It has been a incredible half-dozen years of my life, and circumstances have changed completely for me and my loved ones.”
So in what way did Scott, known fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself at this level?
Developing in non-league
Scott’s football journey has not been a typical one.
He was part of four and a half years in Southampton’s academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early each Friday to fly from his island home on the Channel Island to the south coast so he could attend training and play for the club’s academy sides.
Prior to his 13th birthday, however, they released him. Bournemouth gave Scott an option and he remained with them for a time, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart was not in it.
Instead, he opted to remain on Guernsey and turn out for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over every week was becoming a bit too much,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to relax at home with my friends at weekends because I missed nearly several years of that experience. To have that little bit of childhood back was something I really needed.
“To gain some self-belief by coming back and taking part in local football was huge for me. It was perhaps one of the most important things that got me where I am today.”
When he was just 16, the teenager became the most youthful appearance-maker in the club’s records when he came on as a second-half replacement in their Isthmian League match at Phoenix Sports.
“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could get him in the side because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss the coach commented back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his retention of the ball is exceptional, the way he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Returning to the professional game
Championship side the Robins – chaired by Guernsey resident their owner – had been monitoring Scott’s development after an promising beginning in men’s football and gave him a trial in December 2019.
“It was hectic,” recalled the player. “The first day I joined the under-18s, the second day I was with the senior squad, which was a complete shock.
“On the Wednesday I played for Guernsey FC in the capital, 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 put pen to paper on a contract.”
Within a year and a half, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut against the Hatters.
He made eighty-three league outings for the club while in his teens, frequently being deployed as a wide defender – and sometimes further forward as a attacking midfielder – demonstrating his versatility and flexibility. Despite his youth and playing out of position he was the standout performer.
With his skill to carry the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to 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 award, 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’ll go on to the top of the sport,” his former manager, Scott’s boss at Ashton Gate, remarked previously.
Within 90 days later, he joined Bournemouth for a understood fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing his big move
The midfielder endured a challenging first season with the Cherries, having to wait until October to earn his top-flight debut after a knee problem in the summer, and then being inconsistent of the starting XI.
His following season was equally affected, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for nearly several months.
“There was quite a good run at the end of the previous campaign, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained he.
“That felt like almost another obstacle and the year was shaping up as a pretty bad year for the first five months.”
But he was then called up by the national team for the Under-21 European Championships – and managed to get himself fit for the tournament.
He started five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they went on to win the competition in the host nation, forming a formidable partnership in midfield with his teammate, who himself has gone on to impress for the first team under the national coach.
And he has begun the current campaign equally as strongly for Bournemouth, playing in every game to guide them to the top five in the standings.
“To play for the national team would be among the most special occasions of my life,” Scott stated recently.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to continue developing as a footballer, maintain my love for football, improving every day, and with luck I catch the eye of the England manager and earn an opportunity.”
