Back when the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports before just 55 spectators in 2019, his manager back then predicted, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”
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 senior Three Lions squad.
His ascent from non-league prodigy to potential international star is a true throwback, a journey rarely told in the modern era.
What’s next? A major tournament?
“In my mind, there was zero possibility of making it as a professional football player, never mind playing in the Premier League and playing for England as well,” the player stated in a recent interview.
“It’s been a crazy half-dozen years of my life, and circumstances have changed completely for myself and my loved ones.”
But in what way did Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, end up here?
Developing in non-league
His football journey has been far from a conventional one.
He was part of over four years in the Saints’ youth system from the age of eight, skipping school each Friday to fly from his home on the Channel Island to the south coast so he could attend training and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.
Before he turned 13, though, they decided to let him go. The Cherries were willing to offer Scott an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a time, but, as he later admitted, his heart was not in it.
Instead, he chose to remain on the island and play for his local team.
“My form had dipped and traveling weekly was becoming a bit too much,” he explained.
“I just wanted to chill at home with my friends at the weekend because I missed nearly several years of doing that. Getting that slice of childhood back was a thing I really required.
“To gain some self-belief by coming back and taking part in island football was massive for me. It was 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 was introduced as a 57th-minute 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 he’s that good,” manager Tony Vance commented back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the way he runs with the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Returning to the professional game
Championship side Bristol City – chaired by islander Steve Lansdown – had been tracking Scott’s early progress after an promising beginning in adult football and arranged a try-out in December 2019.
“It was chaos,” said the player. “Day one I joined the under-18s, the next day I trained with the senior squad, which was a complete surprise.
“On the Wednesday I played for Guernsey FC in London, travelled back and on the Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and scored a three goals. It was almost a done deal for me to put pen to paper on a contract.”
Within 18 months, still well before his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut versus the Hatters.
Scott made 83 league appearances for the Robins while in his teens, often being used as a wide defender – and sometimes further forward as a number 10 – demonstrating his adaptability and versatility. Even at that young age and playing out of position he was the standout performer.
Thanks to his ability to carry the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the moniker ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to City and England playmaker Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he claimed the EFL Championship’s young player of the season award, was selected in the division’s team of the year and was voted Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.
“Without question, I think he will represent his country and I’m sure he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the game,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s manager at the club, stated last year.
Within 90 days later, he signed for the Cherries for a reported fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing his major transfer
The midfielder endured a challenging first season with the club, waiting until October to earn his Premier League debut after a knee problem in the summer, and then finding himself inconsistent of the starting XI.
His second campaign was equally affected, this time by a surgery which ruled him out for nearly four months.
“I had a decent run at the end of last season, which was good to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained he.
“That felt like almost another obstacle and the year was shaping up as quite a terrible year for the first five months.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the Under-21 European Championships – and succeeded in regain fitness for the tournament.
He started five of the Young Lions’ six games as they claimed victory in the tournament in Slovakia, developing a strong partnership in midfield with his teammate, who himself has gone on to impress for the first team with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has begun this season equally as strongly for his club, featuring in all matches to guide them to the top five in the table.
“To play for the England senior team would be one of the proudest moments of my career,” Scott stated earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to keep progressing as a footballer, keep enjoying football, getting better every day, and with luck I catch the eye of the England manager and earn an opportunity.”
