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Back when the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his manager back then predicted, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”

This statement turned out to be something of an understatement.

Today 22 years old and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the midfielder has just received his first summons to the senior England team.

His rise from eighth-tier talent to potential England player is a proper blast from the past, a story rarely seen in the modern era.

Next stop? The World Cup?

“Back then, there was zero possibility of making it as a pro footballer, never mind featuring in the top division and playing for the national team too,” Scott said previously.

“It has been a crazy five or six years of my life, and things have changed drastically for myself and my family.”

But in what way did Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up at this level?

Developing in non-league

His football journey has been far from a typical one.

He spent four and a half years in Southampton’s academy setup from the age of eight, leaving school early each Friday to travel by air from his home on the Channel Island to the mainland so he could train and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.

Prior to he turned 13, however, they decided to let him go. The Cherries were willing to offer Scott an opportunity and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, as he later admitted, his mind wasn’t fully committed.

Instead, he chose to stay on the island and play for his local team.

“My form had dipped and traveling every week was becoming a bit too much,” he explained.

“I just wanted to relax at home with my mates at weekends because I missed almost four and a half years of doing that. To have that slice of youth back was a thing I really required.

“Building a bit of self-belief by returning and playing local football was massive for me. That proved to be probably one of the most important factors that led me to this point.”

At the age of 16, Scott made history as the most youthful appearance-maker in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a second-half replacement in their league fixture at Phoenix Sports.

“I had trouble sleeping because I was figuring out how I could get him in the team because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance commented back then.

“Everyone’s now seen that – his retention of the ball is exceptional, the way he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”

Returning to the professional game

Championship side the Robins – owned by Guernsey resident their owner – had been monitoring Scott’s development after an promising beginning in adult football and arranged a trial in December 2019.

“The whole experience was chaos,” recalled the player. “Day one I trained with the under-18s, the second day I trained with the first team, which was a total surprise.

“On the Wednesday I played for Guernsey FC in London, returned home and on the Friday, I took the field for the youth team and netted a three goals. It was almost a certainty for me to put pen to paper on a contract.”

In just 18 months, still well before his 18th birthday, he was earning his first-team debut against the Hatters.

He made 83 league outings for the club while in his teens, often being used as a wide defender – and occasionally further forward as a number 10 – demonstrating his versatility and flexibility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.

Thanks to his ability to carry the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he picked up the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a nod to City and national team attacking midfielder Grealish.

At the end of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the second tier’s best young player honour, was selected in the division’s best XI and was named the club’s player and young player of the Year.

“Without question, I think he’ll play for his country and I think he will progress to the pinnacle of the game,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s boss at the club, stated last year.

Within three months after, he signed for Bournemouth for a understood fee of 25 million pounds.

Getting his big move

Scott experienced a difficult debut campaign with the club, having to wait until the autumn to make his top-flight debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then being inconsistent of the team.

His following season was equally disrupted, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for nearly four months.

“I had a decent run at the end of last season, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” said Scott.

“It was almost another obstacle and it was shaping up as a pretty bad start for the first half.”

But he was then selected by the national team for the U21 Euros – and succeeded in get himself fit for the tournament.

He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six games as they went on to win the competition in Slovakia, developing a strong understanding in the middle with his teammate, who himself has excelled for the first team with Thomas Tuchel.

And he has begun the current campaign just as impressively for his club, playing in every game to guide them to the top five in the standings.

“Representing the England senior team would be one of the proudest moments of my life,” Scott stated recently.

“It’s down to me, I’ve got to continue developing as a player, maintain my love for football, getting better every day, and hopefully I impress the national coach and get my chance.”