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When the young midfielder made his local team debut versus Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his manager at the time assured, “there’s more to come from this youngster.”

This statement turned out to be a bit of an underestimation.

Today aged 22 and an established top-flight player with Bournemouth, the playmaker has earned his first call-up to the full Three Lions squad.

His rise from non-league prodigy to possible England player is a true throwback, a journey seldom seen in the modern game.

Next stop? The World Cup?

“Back then, there was zero possibility of making it as a pro footballer, never mind playing in the top division and representing England too,” Scott said in a recent interview.

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

So in what way did Scott, known affectionately as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself at this level?

Developing in the lower tiers

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

He spent over four years in Southampton’s academy setup starting at eight, skipping school every Friday to fly from his island home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could attend training and play for the Saints’ youth teams.

Before his 13th birthday, though, they released him. The Cherries gave Scott an opportunity and he remained with them for a time, but, as he later admitted, his heart was not in it.

Instead, he opted to stay on the island and play for his hometown club.

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

“I just wanted to chill at my home with my friends at weekends because I had missed almost several years of doing that. Getting that little bit of youth back was something I definitely needed.

“Building some self-belief by returning and playing local football was huge for me. That proved to be perhaps one of the most important things that led me where I am today.”

When he was just 16, the teenager made history as the most youthful appearance-maker in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a second-half substitute in their Isthmian League match at the opposition.

“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the team because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss the coach stated at the time.

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

Making a comeback to the professional game

Championship side the Robins – chaired by islander Steve Lansdown – had been tracking his early progress after an impressive beginning in adult football and arranged a trial in late 2019.

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

“On the Wednesday I featured for Guernsey FC in London, travelled back and by Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and scored a hat-trick. It was almost a done deal for me to put pen to paper on a contract.”

In just a year and a half, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut versus Luton.

He made eighty-three league outings for the Robins while still a teenager, frequently being deployed as a wide defender – and sometimes further forward as a number 10 – demonstrating his versatility and versatility. Even at that young age and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.

Thanks to his ability to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he picked up the moniker ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and England attacking midfielder Jack Grealish.

At the end of the 2022-23 season he claimed the EFL Championship’s young player of the season award, was chosen in the league’s best XI and was named the club’s player and young player of the Year.

“No doubt, I believe he’ll play for his country and I’m sure he will progress to the top of the game,” his former manager, the player’s boss at the club, remarked last year.

Within 90 days after, he signed for the Cherries for a understood fee of £25m.

Getting his major transfer

The midfielder experienced a challenging debut campaign with the Cherries, having to wait until the autumn to earn his Premier League debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then being inconsistent of the team.

His second campaign was equally disrupted, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for almost four months.

“There was quite a good run at the close of last season, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” said he.

“That felt like almost another setback and it was turning out to be a pretty bad start for the first five months.”

But he was then selected by England for the U21 Euros – and succeeded in regain fitness for the tournament.

He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they went on to win the tournament in Slovakia, developing a strong partnership in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has excelled for the senior side with the national coach.

And he has started the current campaign equally as strongly for his club, playing in every game to help them to the top five in the standings.

“To play for the England senior team would be one of the proudest occasions of my career,” Scott stated earlier this season.

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