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When the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his coach back then predicted, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”

This statement turned out to be something of an understatement.

Today aged 22 and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the midfielder has just received his first summons to the senior Three Lions team.

His rise from eighth-tier talent to potential international star is a true blast from the past, a story seldom seen in the modern game.

Next stop? A major tournament?

“In my mind, there was no chance of becoming a professional football player, never mind playing in the top division and representing England too,” Scott said previously.

“It’s been a incredible five or six years of my life, and things have changed completely for me and my loved ones.”

But how did Scott, known fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up at this level?

Learning in the lower tiers

Scott’s path in football has been far from a conventional one.

He was part of over four years in Southampton’s academy setup from the age of eight, skipping school every Friday to travel by air from his home on the Channel Island to the mainland so he could train and play for the club’s academy sides.

Before his 13th birthday, however, they released him. The Cherries were willing to offer Scott an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart was not in it.

Instead, he chose to stay on Guernsey and turn out for his local team.

“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling every week was starting to feel a bit too much,” he recalled.

“All I desired to relax at my home with my mates at the weekend 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 confidence by coming back and taking part in local football was massive for me. It was perhaps one of the most important things that led me to this point.”

When he was just 16, the teenager became the most youthful appearance-maker in the club’s records when he came on as a second-half replacement in their league fixture at Phoenix Sports.

“I’ve been having 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 retention of the ball is outstanding, the manner he runs with the ball, he’s pure quality.”

Making a comeback to the professional game

Second-tier club Bristol City – owned by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been tracking his early progress after an impressive start in men’s football and arranged a trial in late 2019.

“The whole experience was hectic,” said Scott. “Day one I trained with the under-18s, the next day I trained with the first team, which was a complete shock.

“On the Wednesday I played for his local side in London, returned home and by Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and scored a hat-trick. It was almost a certainty for me to sign a contract.”

Within 18 months, even well before his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut versus Luton.

Scott went on to make eighty-three league appearances for the Robins while in his teens, often being used as a wide defender – and sometimes in attack as a attacking midfielder – demonstrating his adaptability and flexibility. Even at that young age 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 earned the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to City and England playmaker Jack Grealish.

By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the EFL Championship’s best young player honour, was selected in the division’s team of the year and was voted the club’s player and young player of the Year.

“Without question, I believe he’ll play for England and I think he will progress to the top of the game,” his former manager, Scott’s boss at Ashton Gate, stated previously.

Less than three months later, he signed for Bournemouth for a understood transfer fee of £25m.

Securing his major transfer

Scott endured a challenging first season with the club, having to wait until October to earn his Premier League debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then finding himself inconsistent of the starting XI.

His following season was just as disrupted, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for almost several months.

“There was quite a good run at the end of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained he.

“It was yet another obstacle and the year was turning out to be a pretty bad start for the first five months.”

But he was then selected by the national team for the Under-21 European Championships – and succeeded in get himself fit in time.

He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they claimed victory in the competition in Slovakia, developing a strong understanding in the middle with his teammate, who in turn has excelled for the senior side under Thomas Tuchel.

And he has begun the current campaign equally as strongly for Bournemouth, featuring in every game to guide them to the top five in the standings.

“Representing the national team would be among the most special moments of my career,” the player said earlier this season.

“It’s down to me, I must keep progressing as a footballer, keep enjoying football, getting better day on day, and with luck I catch the eye of the England manager and earn an opportunity.”