Back when the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his local team debut versus Phoenix Sports before just 55 spectators in 2019, his coach at the time predicted, “there’s more to come from this youngster.”
This prediction proved to be something of an understatement.
Today aged 22 and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the playmaker has earned his maiden summons to the full England squad.
His ascent from eighth-tier talent to potential England player is a proper blast from the past, a journey rarely told in the modern game.
Next stop? A major tournament?
“Back then, there was no chance of becoming a professional football player, let alone playing in the top division and playing for England as well,” the player said in a recent interview.
“It’s been a incredible half-dozen years of my life, and circumstances have changed completely for me and my loved ones.”
So in what way did Alex Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up here?
Developing in non-league
Scott’s path in football has been far from a typical one.
He was part of four and a half years in Southampton’s academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early each 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, however, they released him. The Cherries gave Scott an option and he remained with them for a while, but, as he later admitted, his heart wasn’t fully committed.
Instead, he chose to remain on the island and play for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and flying over weekly was becoming a bit too much,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to relax at home with my mates at weekends because I missed almost four and a half years of that experience. To have that slice of childhood back was a thing I definitely needed.
“To gain some self-belief by coming back and playing local football was massive for me. It was probably the most crucial factors that led me to this point.”
When he was just 16, the teenager became the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a second-half replacement in their league match at Phoenix Sports.
“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could get him in the side because he’s that good,” manager the coach stated at the time.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his retention of the ball is exceptional, the way he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Making a comeback to the pro ranks
Championship side Bristol City – chaired by Guernsey resident their owner – had been monitoring his early progress after an promising beginning in men’s football and arranged a trial in December 2019.
“The whole experience was chaos,” said the player. “Day one I trained with the under-18s, the second day I was with the senior squad, which was a total surprise.
“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 three goals. It was almost a done deal for me to sign a contract.”
Within a year and a half, still well before his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut versus Luton.
He made eighty-three league outings for the club while in his teens, frequently being deployed as a wing-back – and occasionally further forward as a number 10 – such was his versatility and flexibility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was their best player.
Thanks to his skill to carry the ball up the pitch, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he picked up the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and England playmaker Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 season he won the second tier’s young player of the season award, was selected in the league’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 his country and I’m sure he will progress to the top of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s boss at the club, stated last year.
Within three months later, he joined Bournemouth for a reported transfer fee of £25m.
Getting his big move
The midfielder experienced a difficult first season with the Cherries, having to wait until October to make his Premier League debut after a knee problem in the summer, and then being in and out of the starting XI.
His following season was just as affected, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for almost four months.
“I had a decent run at the end of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained Scott.
“It was yet another obstacle and the year was turning out to be quite a terrible year for the first half.”
But he was then called up 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 games as they claimed victory in the tournament in the host nation, developing a strong partnership in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who himself has excelled for the first team with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has begun the current campaign just as impressively for Bournemouth, playing in all matches to guide them to the top five in the standings.
“Representing the England senior team would be among the most special occasions of my career,” Scott stated earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I must keep progressing as a footballer, keep enjoying the game, getting better every day, and hopefully I impress the England manager and get my chance.”
