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

This statement proved to be something of an underestimation.

Now aged 22 and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the playmaker has just received his maiden summons to the full Three Lions squad.

His ascent from eighth-tier talent to possible England player is a true blast from the past, a journey rarely seen in the modern era.

Next stop? A major tournament?

“Back then, there was zero possibility of becoming a pro footballer, never mind featuring in the top division and representing the national team as well,” 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, known fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself here?

Learning in non-league

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

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

Prior to his 13th birthday, though, they released him. Bournemouth gave him an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, as he later admitted, his heart wasn’t fully committed.

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

“My form had dipped and flying over weekly was starting to feel a bit too much,” he recalled.

“I just wanted to chill at my home with my friends at the weekend because I had missed almost several years of that experience. To have that little bit of youth back was a thing I definitely required.

“Building a bit of confidence by coming back and taking part in local football was huge for me. It was perhaps one of the most important factors that led me to this point.”

When he was just 16, Scott became the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he came on as a second-half replacement in their league fixture at the opposition.

“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could include him in the side because he’s that good,” manager Tony Vance stated at the time.

“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the way he runs with the ball, he’s pure quality.”

Returning to the pro ranks

Second-tier club the Robins – owned by islander their owner – had been monitoring his development after an promising start in adult football and arranged a trial in late 2019.

“The whole experience was chaos,” recalled Scott. “The first day I trained with the youth team, the second day I was with the first team, which was a complete shock.

“On the Wednesday I played for his local side in London, travelled back and on the Friday, I took the field for the youth team and netted a three goals. From that point a certainty for me to sign a contract.”

In just 18 months, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut versus the Hatters.

He went on to make 83 league appearances for the Robins while in his teens, frequently being used as a wing-back – and sometimes further forward 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.

With his ability to carry the ball up the pitch, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to Manchester 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 chosen in the league’s best XI and was named the club’s player and young player of the Year.

“No doubt, I think he’ll play for England and I’m sure he will progress to the pinnacle of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s manager at Ashton Gate, stated last year.

Less than 90 days later, he joined Bournemouth for a reported fee of £25m.

Securing his big move

The midfielder endured a challenging first season with the club, waiting until the autumn to make his Premier League debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then finding himself in and out of the team.

His following season was just as affected, this time by a knee operation which ruled him out for nearly several months.

“I had a decent run at the close of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” said he.

“It was yet 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 regain fitness in time.

He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six games as they claimed victory in the competition in Slovakia, developing a strong partnership in the middle with his teammate, who in turn has gone on to impress for the first team with Thomas Tuchel.

And he has started the current campaign equally as impressively for Bournemouth, playing in all matches to help them to the top five in the standings.

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

“The responsibility is mine, I must keep progressing as a footballer, maintain my love for football, getting better every day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the England manager and earn an opportunity.”