Back when the young midfielder made his local team debut against Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his manager at the time predicted, “we haven’t seen the best from this youngster.”
That statement proved to be something of an understatement.
Now aged 22 and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the playmaker has just received his first summons to the full Three Lions team.
His rise from eighth-tier talent to potential England player is a proper throwback, a journey rarely seen in the modern era.
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 the national team as well,” the player stated previously.
“It has been a incredible half-dozen years of my life, and circumstances have transformed drastically for me and my loved ones.”
But how did Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up at this level?
Learning in non-league
His football journey has not been a conventional one.
He was part of over four years in the Saints’ academy setup from the age of eight, skipping school every Friday to travel by air from his home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could train and play for the club’s academy sides.
Before his 13th birthday, though, they decided to let him go. The Cherries were willing to offer him an opportunity and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Instead, he opted to remain on the island and turn out for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and flying over every week was starting to feel overwhelming,” he explained.
“All I desired to chill at home with my friends at the weekend because I missed almost four and a half years of doing that. To have that slice of youth back was something I definitely required.
“Building some confidence by coming back and taking part in island football was massive for me. That proved to be perhaps 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 57th-minute substitute in their Isthmian League match at the opposition.
“I’ve been having trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could include him in the team because he’s that good,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance commented at the time.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is exceptional, the manner he runs with the ball, he’s a class act.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Second-tier club the Robins – chaired by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been tracking his development after an promising beginning in men’s football and arranged a try-out in late 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” recalled Scott. “The first day I trained with the under-18s, the second day I was with the first team, which was a complete shock.
“Midweek I played for Guernsey FC in the capital, travelled back and by Friday, I took the field for the youth team and netted a hat-trick. It was almost a certainty for me to put pen to paper on a contract.”
Within 18 months, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut versus Luton.
Scott went on to make 83 league outings for the Robins while in his teens, frequently being used as a wide defender – and sometimes further forward as a number 10 – such was his versatility and versatility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was their best player.
With his skill to carry the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he picked up the moniker ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and national team playmaker Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the EFL Championship’s young player of the season award, was chosen in the division’s team of the year and was named the club’s player and young player of the Year.
“No doubt, I believe he will represent England and I think he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s manager at the club, remarked last year.
Less than 90 days later, he signed for the Cherries for a reported fee of £25m.
Getting his big move
The midfielder endured a difficult first season with the club, having to wait until the autumn to make his Premier League debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then finding himself in and out of the starting XI.
His second campaign was just as affected, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for almost several months.
“I had a decent run at the end of last season, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” said Scott.
“It was almost another obstacle and the year was shaping up as quite a terrible start for the first half.”
But he was then called up by the national team for the U21 Euros – and managed to get himself fit in time.
He started five of the England U21s’ six matches as they claimed victory in the tournament in Slovakia, forming a formidable understanding in the middle with his teammate, who in turn has gone on to impress for the senior side with the national coach.
And he has started the current campaign 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 recently.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to continue developing as a footballer, keep enjoying the game, improving every day, and with luck I impress the national coach and get my chance.”
