When the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 fans in 2019, his coach at the time assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
That statement turned out to be a bit of an underestimation.
Today 22 years old and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the midfielder has earned his first summons to the senior England squad.
His rise from eighth-tier talent to potential England player is a true blast from the past, a journey rarely told in the modern era.
Next stop? The World Cup?
“Back then, there was zero possibility of becoming a pro footballer, let alone playing in the Premier League and playing for England too,” the player said previously.
“It has been a crazy five or six years of my life, and things have transformed completely for me and my loved ones.”
But in what way did Scott, known fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, end up here?
Learning in non-league
His path in football has not been a typical one.
He was part of over four years in the Saints’ youth system from the age of eight, leaving school early each Friday to travel by air from his island home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could attend training and play for the Saints’ youth teams.
Before he turned 13, though, they decided to let him go. The Cherries were willing to offer him an option and he remained with them for a while, but, as he later admitted, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he chose to remain on the island and turn out for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and traveling weekly was becoming a bit too much,” he explained.
“All I desired to chill at home with my mates at the weekend because I had missed nearly several years of that experience. To have that little bit of youth back was a thing I definitely needed.
“To gain a bit of confidence by returning and playing local football was huge for me. That proved to be probably the most crucial factors that got me where I am today.”
When he was just 16, Scott became the most youthful appearance-maker in the club’s records when he was introduced as a second-half replacement in their Isthmian League fixture at the opposition.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could include him in the team because he’s that good,” Guernsey boss the coach commented at the time.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession 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 Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring his early progress after an promising start in men’s football and arranged a try-out in late 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” recalled the player. “The first day I joined the youth team, the next day I was with the first team, which was a total shock.
“Midweek I played for his local side in London, travelled back and by Friday, I played for the youth team and netted a three goals. It was almost a certainty for me to put pen to paper on a contract.”
Within a year and a half, even well before his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut against the Hatters.
He went on to make eighty-three league appearances for the club while still a teenager, often being used as a wing-back – and sometimes further forward as a number 10 – such was his adaptability and versatility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
With his skill to carry 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 national team playmaker Jack Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 campaign he won the EFL Championship’s young player of the season award, was chosen in the division’s best XI and was named the club’s top player and top youngster.
“No doubt, I believe he will represent England and I’m sure he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the game,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s manager at Ashton Gate, remarked previously.
Within three months after, he joined the Cherries for a reported transfer fee of £25m.
Getting his major transfer
Scott experienced a difficult first season with the club, having to wait until October to make his Premier League debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then being inconsistent of the team.
His following season was equally affected, this time by a knee operation which ruled him out for almost four months.
“I had quite a good run at the close of the previous campaign, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” said Scott.
“That felt like almost another obstacle and it 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 succeeded in get himself fit for the tournament.
He started five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they claimed victory in the tournament in Slovakia, developing a strong partnership in midfield with his teammate, who in turn has excelled for the first team with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has begun the current campaign just as impressively for Bournemouth, featuring in all matches to guide them to fifth in the table.
“Representing the national team would be one of the proudest occasions of my career,” the player said earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I must keep progressing as a player, keep enjoying the game, getting better day on day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the England manager and get my chance.”
