When the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his coach back then assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
That statement turned out to be a bit of an underestimation.
Now aged 22 and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the playmaker has earned his first call-up to the full England squad.
His rise from non-league prodigy to potential international star is a proper throwback, a story rarely told in the modern game.
Next stop? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was zero possibility of making it as a professional football player, never mind playing in the top division and playing for the national team as well,” the player stated in a recent interview.
“It has been a crazy five or six years of my life, and circumstances have transformed completely for me and my family.”
But how did Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, end up here?
Learning in non-league
Scott’s football journey has not been a conventional one.
He spent four and a half years in Southampton’s youth system starting at eight, leaving school early every Friday to travel by air from his home on the Channel Island to the mainland so he could attend training and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.
Prior to he turned 13, however, they released him. The Cherries gave him 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 the island and play for his hometown club.
“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling every week was starting to feel overwhelming,” he explained.
“I just wanted to chill at home with my mates at the weekend because I had missed nearly several years of that experience. Getting that little bit of youth back was something I definitely required.
“To gain some confidence by coming back and taking part in local football was huge for me. That proved to be perhaps the most crucial things that led me where I am today.”
When he was just 16, Scott made history as 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 the opposition.
“I had sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the side because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance stated at the time.
“People have witnessed that – his possession of the ball is exceptional, the way he runs with the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Making a comeback to the professional game
Championship side Bristol City – owned by islander their owner – had been tracking Scott’s early progress after an impressive beginning in adult football and gave him a try-out in December 2019.
“It was hectic,” recalled Scott. “The first day I joined the youth team, the second day I trained with the first team, which was a complete surprise.
“On the Wednesday I played for his local side in London, returned home and by Friday, I played for the youth team and scored a three goals. It was almost a certainty for me to sign a deal.”
In just 18 months, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut versus Luton.
Scott made 83 league outings for the Robins while in his teens, often being used as a wing-back – and sometimes in attack as a number 10 – demonstrating his versatility and flexibility. Even at that young age and playing out of position he was the standout performer.
With his ability to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to City and national team playmaker Jack Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he claimed the second tier’s young player of the season honour, was selected in the league’s best XI and was named Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I believe he will represent his country and I think he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the sport,” his former manager, the player’s manager at Ashton Gate, stated previously.
Within three months later, he joined the Cherries for a understood transfer fee of £25m.
Getting his big move
Scott endured a challenging first season with the club, waiting until October to make his Premier League debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then finding himself inconsistent of the starting XI.
His following season was just as disrupted, this time by a knee operation which ruled him out for nearly several months.
“There was a decent run at the end of last season, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained he.
“That felt like almost another setback and it was turning out to be a pretty bad year for the first five months.”
But he was then called up by the national team for the U21 Euros – and managed to get himself fit in time.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they claimed victory in the competition in the host nation, developing a strong partnership in the middle with his teammate, who in turn has gone on to impress for the senior side under Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started the current campaign equally as impressively for his club, featuring in all matches to guide them to fifth in the standings.
“Representing the England senior team would be one of the proudest occasions of my life,” Scott stated earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I must continue developing as a footballer, keep enjoying the game, improving day on day, and with luck I catch the eye of the England manager and get my chance.”
