Already in his brief Newport County career, two of the goals Scott has grabbed to date could have gone down as very memorable goals for the County.
His sublime headed goal against Wolves in opening moments of the game had County fans ecstatic at the possibility of causing an upset, only for the vast skill and experience Wolves had on offer to shine through in the end.
And last Saturday against Stevenage, Scott’s second-half goal looked destined to be the winner that gave this new-look County outfit their first win of the season, until Stevenage pulled level right at the death.
Already known as the comedian of the squad, Scott sat down with James Hayhoe to discuss his career so far….
Let’s start right at the very beginning. What is your earliest footballing memory?
The first game I remember watching was Sheffield United versus Crystal Palace in the play-off final. I grew up supporting Sheffield United and had season tickets at Bramall Lane.
You started off your career at Sheffield United. What was that like, starting your footballing career at your hometown club?
It’s obviously what you strive for as a young lad. You always want to play for the team you love and Sheffield United was the team I loved. To be there from the age of eight, through to eighteen was great and those ten years were unbelievable. It was just a bit gutting that I couldn’t make the final progression there.
Your next move was a bit of a strange one. How did you end up at IFK Mariehamn in Finland?
It was a bit of a whirlwind to be honest. I found out that I wasn’t getting a professional contract at Sheffield United that week and the assistant manager of the Finish club was at a youth game and funnily enough he was from Sheffield himself. Literally within a week I was in Finland and it just snowballed. My mum was a bit surprised, let’s put it that way!
Would you say it was a good experience, going to a completely different country to play football?
I was only eighteen at the time, so from that aspect it was good to live in a different country and on my own, it makes you grow up a lot and learn to be independent. Obviously you learn a lot about yourself and experience different styles of football and you get a sample of other cultures.
Your next move was slightly closer to home. How did end up at Chesterfield?
I came back from Finland and it was a case of my mum making me look for university courses and exploring different options. It was a bit of fortune to be honest, my dad got into touch with a guy he knew and I ended up going on trial to Chesterfield. I spent the summer on trial there when I was eighteen and luckily enough I impressed and they offered me the deal.
What were your highlights of the time you spent at Chesterfield?
There are a couple to choose from. We were champions of League two and we won the Johnstone Paint Trophy at Wembley.
But then there are other things about my time there that were not so good. We got relegated from League One, but it’s an experience you carry with you because you never want to experience it again.
From my point of view I saw the club when it was at Saltergate and probably at it’s lowest ebb, to where it moved to the B2net Stadium and we had a great training ground. The club just grew unbelievably during my time there.
You spend periods on loan while at Chesterfield. Did you enjoy that experience?
Yeah I did, it got me first team football. I was having a good experience at Chesterfield but I was known as a super-sub kind of figure. I think I had some record for the highest number of goals off the bench, so I was like an Ole Gunnar Solskjær impact substitute. It was nice to go out and get some games. For a young professional in the game I would recommend going out on loan as a way of getting more regular first-team football.
You then joined Macclesfield Town and had a good scoring record while you were there, something you must be proud of?
As a player and as a striker that it one of the things you get judged on. To be fair to John Askey, I went to Macclesfield and he took a gamble on me. All season I was dying to repay him and I think I got twenty-five goals in all competitions. I owe a lot to John Askey in that respect, he took a gamble and thankfully for both of us it paid off.
Were you disappointed that your stay at Macclesfield Town only lasted a single season?
It wasn’t a case of my choice in the end. The funds at the club kind of determined what happened to a few of the players. Three or four of us moved on and that’s just part and parcel of football. I had a great time there I can’t lie. I had a great year there with all the lads at the football club but work is work as they say.
Halifax Town was your next destination. Can you recall how that switch happened?
One of the players, who was on loan from Macclesfield to Halifax, kind of told me about the interest there. The manager phoned me very early in the summer, as soon as the season finished really and the chairman then spoke to me, so that how that move came about.
At Halifax you were in amongst the goals again. That must have been a satisfying feeling?
I would have liked to get more to be honest. I think I got fifteen in all competitions, but towards the back end of the season I wasn’t really playing a lot of matches, for one reason or another and that’s how unfortunately my time at Halifax kind of petered out really.
Moving on to the present day, when were you first aware of County’s interest in securing your services?
A week into pre-season at Halifax I caught wind of the interest. So probably early July was the first time I thought I may be on my way to Wales.
Was it an easy decision to make?
Everybody says that it’s a no brainer and all those clichés but it literally was. As soon as I found out about the interest from Newport, there was only one place I wanted to go to be honest. I was more than happy to get the deal done swiftly and Terry will probably tell you that I was doing his head in, phoning him all the time and trying to get the deal done as soon as possible, I just wanted to get here.
You spent the majority of your career in the north of England. How are you finding life down South?
The accent is a bit peculiar. I think I stand out like a sore thumb to be fair. When I go into the shops or anything like that, everybody looks at you like you are an alien with my accent.
In all seriousness, it’s nice to be here. It is nice to be somewhere new and fresh and I am really enjoying it to be fair.
You enjoyed a perfect start to your County career, with a brace in your first pre-season game against Torquay, the perfect start for a striker?
It was, but it was just good to be down here to be honest. I came down on the Monday to meet all the lads and it was good to get on the scoresheet but I would much rather two goals against Orient this Saturday!
We must mention your goal against Wolves last Tuesday. Playing at a stadium like Molineux and putting County ahead within the first couple of minutes, you must have been pinching yourself?
Yeah it was and for a minute we all thought we were going to Wembley. It was obviously nice for all the lads and the supporters, who came out in their numbers. The boys put on a good display and that now has to be the benchmark we set ourselves and we need to carry on from there.
And lastly, what are you hoping to achieve this season at Newport County AFC?
It’s completely up to the players. When we play well we can really cause teams problems. Every game we go into, everybody goes into it to win and that’s the first and foremost thing. Hopefully we can have a positive season!