Back when the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his coach at the time predicted, “we haven’t seen the best from this youngster.”
That statement proved to be something of an underestimation.
Now 22 years old and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the playmaker has just received his first summons to the full England team.
His rise from eighth-tier talent to potential England player is a proper blast from the past, a journey seldom told in the modern era.
What’s next? A major tournament?
“Back then, there was no chance of making it as a pro footballer, never mind playing in the top division and representing England too,” the player stated in a recent interview.
“It’s been a crazy five or six years of my life, and things have transformed completely for me and my family.”
So how did Alex Scott, known fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up here?
Developing in non-league
Scott’s football journey has not been a typical one.
He spent four and a half years in Southampton’s academy setup from the age of eight, skipping school every Friday to fly from his home on the Channel Island to the south coast so he could train and feature for the club’s academy sides.
Prior to his 13th birthday, however, they released him. The Cherries were willing to offer Scott an opportunity and he remained with them for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he opted to remain on Guernsey and play for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and traveling weekly was becoming a bit too much,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to relax at home with my friends at the weekend because I missed nearly four and a half years of that experience. To have that slice of youth back was a thing I really required.
“Building a bit of confidence by coming back and playing local football was huge for me. It was probably the most crucial factors 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 was introduced as a second-half substitute in their league fixture at Phoenix Sports.
“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the team because he’s that good,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance stated back then.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is exceptional, the manner he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Making a comeback to the pro ranks
Second-tier club the Robins – chaired by islander their owner – had been tracking Scott’s development after an impressive beginning in adult football and gave him a try-out in late 2019.
“It was chaos,” said the player. “Day one I joined the youth team, the next day I was with the first team, which was a complete surprise.
“Midweek I featured for his local side in the capital, travelled back and on the Friday, I took the field for Bristol City Under-18s and scored a hat-trick. From that point a done deal for me to sign a contract.”
Within 18 months, still well before his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut against Luton.
He went on to make 83 league appearances for the Robins while in his teens, frequently being deployed as a wing-back – and occasionally further forward as a number 10 – such was his adaptability and flexibility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
With his skill to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he picked up the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to City and England attacking midfielder Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 season he won the second tier’s best young player honour, was selected in the division’s best XI and was named Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I think he will represent his country and I’m sure he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the game,” his former manager, Scott’s manager at Ashton Gate, stated last year.
Less than three months later, he joined Bournemouth for a understood fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing his big move
Scott experienced a difficult first season with the club, having to wait until the autumn to earn his Premier League debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then finding himself in and out of the starting XI.
His following season was just as disrupted, this time by a knee operation which ruled him out for almost several months.
“I had quite a good run at the close of the previous campaign, which was good to have, then I fractured my jaw,” said Scott.
“That felt like almost another obstacle and it was turning out to be quite a terrible start for the first half.”
But he was then selected by England for the Under-21 European Championships – and managed to get himself fit for the tournament.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they went on to win the tournament in the host nation, developing a formidable understanding in the middle with his teammate, who himself has gone on to impress for the senior side under the national coach.
And he has started the current campaign just as impressively for Bournemouth, featuring in every game to guide them to fifth in the table.
“To play for the England senior team would be among the most special occasions of my life,” Scott stated recently.
“It’s down to me, I must continue developing as a footballer, maintain my love for the game, improving every day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the national coach and earn an opportunity.”
