Back when the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 fans in 2019, his manager back then assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
This statement turned out to be something of an understatement.
Now aged 22 and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the playmaker has earned his maiden summons to the full England team.
His rise from non-league prodigy to potential England player is a proper throwback, a story seldom seen in the modern game.
What’s next? A major tournament?
“In my mind, there was no chance of becoming a pro footballer, let alone playing in the top division and representing the national team as well,” the player said in a recent interview.
“It’s been a incredible five or six years of my life, and things have transformed drastically for myself and my family.”
But in what way did Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, end up here?
Developing in the lower tiers
His football journey has been far from a typical 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 island home on the Channel Island to the south coast so he could train and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.
Prior to he turned 13, though, they released him. The Cherries gave Scott an opportunity and he remained with them for a time, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he opted to stay on Guernsey and turn out for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over weekly was starting to feel overwhelming,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to relax at my home with my mates at weekends because I missed nearly several years of doing that. To have that slice of childhood back was a thing I definitely needed.
“To gain some confidence by coming back and playing local football was massive for me. That proved to be perhaps the most crucial things that got me to this point.”
When he was just 16, Scott became the most youthful appearance-maker in Guernsey’s history when he came on as a second-half replacement in their Isthmian League match at Phoenix Sports.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could include him in the side because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance stated back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the manner he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Making a comeback to the pro ranks
Second-tier club the Robins – owned by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been tracking his development after an impressive beginning in men’s football and arranged a trial in late 2019.
“The whole experience was chaos,” said Scott. “Day one I joined the under-18s, the second day I trained with the senior squad, which was a complete surprise.
“Midweek I played for his local side in London, returned home and by Friday, I played for the youth team and scored a hat-trick. It was almost a done deal for me to sign a contract.”
Within a year and a half, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut versus the Hatters.
Scott went on to make 83 league appearances for the club while still a teenager, frequently being deployed as a wing-back – and sometimes further forward as a attacking midfielder – such was his adaptability and flexibility. Even at that young age and playing out of position he was their best player.
With his ability to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he picked up the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and England playmaker Jack Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 campaign he won the second tier’s best young player award, was selected in the league’s team of the year and was voted the club’s player and young player of the Year.
“Without question, I believe he will represent his country and I think he’ll go on to the top of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s manager at the club, stated previously.
Less than 90 days after, he joined the Cherries for a reported transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing his big move
Scott experienced a difficult first season with the Cherries, waiting until the autumn to make his Premier League debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then being inconsistent of the starting XI.
His following season was equally disrupted, this time by a knee operation which ruled him out for almost several months.
“I had quite a good run at the close of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” said he.
“That felt like almost another obstacle and the year was turning out to be quite a terrible year for the first five months.”
But he was then called up by the national team for the Under-21 European Championships – and succeeded in get himself fit for the tournament.
He started five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they claimed victory in the competition in Slovakia, forming a formidable understanding in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has gone on to impress for the senior side under Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started the current campaign just as strongly for his club, playing in all matches to help them to fifth in the table.
“Representing the national team would be one of the proudest moments of my career,” the player stated earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I must keep progressing as a footballer, keep enjoying football, getting better day on day, and with luck I impress the England manager and earn an opportunity.”
