When the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his local team debut against Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his manager back then assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”
This statement turned out to be something of an understatement.
Today aged 22 and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the midfielder has just received his maiden summons to the full England squad.
His ascent from non-league prodigy to potential England player is a proper throwback, a story rarely seen in the modern game.
Next stop? A major tournament?
“Back then, there was zero possibility of becoming a pro footballer, let alone playing in the top division and representing the national team as well,” the player stated previously.
“It has been a crazy half-dozen years of my life, and circumstances have transformed completely for myself and my family.”
So in what way did Scott, known fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself here?
Developing in non-league
His 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 island home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could attend training and play for the club’s academy sides.
Before he turned 13, however, they released him. Bournemouth were willing to offer him 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 chose to remain on Guernsey and play for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling weekly was becoming a bit too much,” he recalled.
“All I desired to relax at my home with my friends at the weekend because I missed nearly four and a half years of doing that. Getting that little bit of childhood back was a thing I definitely needed.
“To gain some confidence by returning and taking part in local football was huge for me. It was perhaps the most crucial factors that got me to this point.”
At the age of 16, Scott made history as the youngest player in the club’s records when he came on as a 57th-minute replacement in their league match at the opposition.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was figuring out how I could include him in the side because his talent is obvious,” manager the coach commented back then.
“People have witnessed that – his possession of the ball is exceptional, the way he runs with the ball, he’s a class act.”
Making a comeback to the pro ranks
Second-tier club the Robins – chaired by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been tracking Scott’s early progress after an impressive start in men’s football and gave him a trial in late 2019.
“It was chaos,” said the player. “The first day I joined the under-18s, the next day I was with the first team, which was a total surprise.
“On the Wednesday I played for Guernsey FC in London, travelled back and on the Friday, I took the field for the youth team and scored a three goals. It was almost a certainty for me to sign a contract.”
In just 18 months, still well before his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut against Luton.
Scott made 83 league outings for the Robins while still a teenager, often being used as a wide defender – and occasionally further forward as a number 10 – such was his versatility and flexibility. Even at that young age and not in his natural role he was their best player.
With his ability to carry the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and national team attacking midfielder Jack Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he won the EFL Championship’s best young player award, was chosen in the league’s team of the year and was named Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.
“Without question, I believe he will represent his country and I’m sure he will progress to the pinnacle of the game,” his former manager, Scott’s manager at Ashton Gate, remarked previously.
Less than 90 days later, he signed for the Cherries for a understood transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his big move
Scott endured a challenging first season with the Cherries, 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 nearly several months.
“There was quite a good run at the close of last season, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” said Scott.
“It was yet 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 U21 Euros – and managed to regain fitness in time.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they went on to win the competition in Slovakia, developing a strong understanding in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who himself has gone on to impress for the first team under Thomas Tuchel.
And he has begun this season just as strongly for Bournemouth, featuring in all matches to guide them to the top five in the standings.
“To play for the national team would be among the most special moments of my life,” Scott said earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to keep progressing as a player, maintain my love for football, getting better day on day, and with luck I impress the England manager and earn an opportunity.”
