When the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his coach back then predicted, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
This prediction proved to be a bit of an underestimation.
Today aged 22 and an established top-flight player with Bournemouth, the midfielder has earned his maiden summons to the full Three Lions team.
His rise from eighth-tier talent to possible England player is a true throwback, a journey seldom seen in the modern game.
What’s next? A major tournament?
“In my mind, there was no chance of making it as a pro footballer, let alone featuring in the Premier League and representing the national team as well,” the player stated in a recent interview.
“It has been a incredible five or six years of my life, and things have transformed drastically for me and my loved ones.”
But how did Alex Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up here?
Developing in non-league
Scott’s path in football has not been a typical one.
He spent four and a half years in the Saints’ youth system starting at eight, leaving school early each Friday to fly from his home on the Channel Island to the south coast so he could attend training and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.
Prior to his 13th birthday, though, they released him. The Cherries gave Scott an opportunity and he remained with them for a time, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Instead, he chose to remain on the island and turn out for his local team.
“My form had dipped and traveling every week was becoming a bit too much,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to relax at my home with my friends at the weekend because I had missed almost four and a half years of doing that. To have that little bit of childhood again was a thing I definitely needed.
“Building a bit of confidence by coming back and taking part in island football was massive for me. It was probably the most crucial things that got me to this point.”
At the age of 16, the teenager made history as the most youthful appearance-maker in the club’s records when he came on as a second-half replacement in their Isthmian League match at Phoenix Sports.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was figuring out how I could get him in the side because he’s that good,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance commented at the time.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the way he runs with the ball, he’s a class act.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Second-tier club the Robins – owned by Guernsey resident their owner – had been monitoring his development after an promising start in men’s football and arranged a trial in late 2019.
“The whole experience was chaos,” said the player. “Day one I trained with the youth team, the next day I trained with the senior squad, which was a total surprise.
“On the Wednesday I featured for his local side in London, returned home and by Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and netted a three goals. It was almost a certainty for me to sign a contract.”
Within 18 months, still well before his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut versus the Hatters.
He went on to make eighty-three league appearances for the Robins while still a teenager, frequently being deployed as a wing-back – and sometimes further forward as a number 10 – demonstrating his adaptability and versatility. Even at that young age and playing out of position he was their best player.
Thanks to his skill to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the moniker ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a reference to City and England attacking midfielder Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 season he won the EFL Championship’s young player of the season honour, was selected in the division’s best XI and was named Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.
“No doubt, I believe he’ll play for his country and I think he’ll go on to the top of the game,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s manager at Ashton Gate, stated previously.
Within three months after, he joined the Cherries for a understood fee of £25m.
Securing his big move
Scott endured a difficult first season with the club, having to wait until October to make his Premier League debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then being inconsistent of the team.
His second campaign was equally affected, this time by a surgery which ruled him out for nearly several months.
“I had quite a good run at the end of last season, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained he.
“It was yet another setback and the year was shaping up as quite a terrible start for the first five months.”
But he was then called up by the national team for the U21 Euros – and managed to 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 understanding 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 this season just as strongly for Bournemouth, playing in every game to help them to fifth in the standings.
“To play for the England senior team would be among the most special moments of my life,” Scott stated recently.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to keep progressing as a player, keep enjoying the game, getting better every day, and hopefully I impress the England manager and earn an opportunity.”
