When the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 fans in 2019, his coach back then assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this youngster.”
That statement turned out to be a bit of an underestimation.
Today aged 22 and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the midfielder has just received his first call-up to the full England squad.
His rise from eighth-tier talent to possible international star is a proper throwback, a story rarely seen in the modern game.
What’s next? A major tournament?
“In my mind, there was no chance of making it as a professional football player, never mind playing in the Premier League and playing for the national team too,” the player stated in a recent interview.
“It has been a incredible half-dozen years of my life, and things have transformed drastically for myself and my family.”
But how did Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself here?
Developing in the lower tiers
Scott’s path in football has not been a typical one.
He spent over four years in Southampton’s academy setup from the age of eight, leaving school early each Friday to travel by air from his island home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could train and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.
Before his 13th birthday, however, they released him. The Cherries gave him an opportunity and he remained with them for a time, but, as he later admitted, his mind was not in it.
Instead, he opted to remain on the island 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 chill at my home with my mates at the weekend because I missed nearly four and a half years of that experience. To have that slice of childhood again was a thing I definitely required.
“To gain some confidence by returning and playing local football was huge for me. It was perhaps the most crucial things that led me where I am today.”
At the age of 16, Scott made history as the youngest player in the club’s records when he was introduced as a second-half replacement in their Isthmian League fixture at Phoenix Sports.
“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 the coach 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.”
Returning to the professional game
Championship side Bristol City – owned by islander their owner – had been monitoring Scott’s development after an promising beginning in adult football and gave him a try-out in December 2019.
“It was hectic,” said the player. “The first day I trained with the youth team, the next day I was with the first team, which was a total surprise.
“On the Wednesday I featured for his local side in the capital, travelled back and by Friday, I played for the youth team and netted a hat-trick. From that point a certainty for me to put pen to paper on a deal.”
In just 18 months, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his first-team debut versus the Hatters.
Scott went on to make eighty-three league appearances for the Robins while still a teenager, frequently being deployed as a wide defender – and occasionally in attack as a number 10 – such was his adaptability and flexibility. Even at that young age and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
Thanks to his skill to carry the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and England playmaker Jack Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 campaign he won the EFL Championship’s best young player honour, was chosen in the league’s team of the year and was named the club’s top player and top youngster.
“No doubt, I believe he will represent England and I think he will progress to the pinnacle of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s boss at the club, stated last year.
Less than three months after, he signed for the Cherries for a reported transfer fee of £25m.
Securing his big move
The midfielder experienced a difficult debut campaign with the club, waiting until the autumn to earn his Premier League debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then being in and out of the starting XI.
His following season was equally affected, this time by a knee operation which ruled him out for almost several months.
“There was a decent run at the end of last season, which was good to have, then I fractured my jaw,” said he.
“It was almost another obstacle and the year was turning out to be quite a terrible year 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 went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they claimed victory in the tournament in Slovakia, forming a strong understanding in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has excelled for the first team under the national coach.
And he has begun this season equally as impressively for his club, featuring in all matches to help them to the top five in the table.
“To play for the national team would be one of the proudest occasions of my life,” the player stated earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to continue developing as a player, keep enjoying the game, getting better day on day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the national coach and get my chance.”
