Back when the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his coach back then assured, “there’s more to come from this youngster.”
This prediction proved to be something of an understatement.
Today 22 years old and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the playmaker has just received his maiden call-up to the full England team.
His rise from non-league prodigy to possible international star is a proper blast from the past, a journey rarely told in the modern era.
Next stop? A major tournament?
“In my mind, there was zero possibility of becoming a pro footballer, never mind playing in the Premier League and representing England too,” Scott stated in a recent interview.
“It’s been a crazy half-dozen years of my life, and things have transformed completely for me and my loved ones.”
So in what way did Alex Scott, known fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself at this level?
Learning in the lower tiers
Scott’s path in football has been far from a typical one.
He spent four and a half years in the Saints’ academy setup starting at eight, skipping school every Friday to fly from his island home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could attend training and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.
Before his 13th birthday, however, they released him. Bournemouth gave Scott an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a time, but, as he later admitted, his heart wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he chose to stay on Guernsey 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 mates at weekends because I had missed nearly four and a half years of that experience. To have that little bit of childhood again was a thing I definitely needed.
“Building a bit of confidence by returning and playing local football was massive for me. It was probably one of the most important factors that led me where I am today.”
At the age of 16, Scott made history as the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he came on as a 57th-minute replacement in their Isthmian League fixture at Phoenix Sports.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could include him in the team because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance stated at the time.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the way he runs with the ball, he’s a class act.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Championship side the Robins – owned by islander their owner – had been monitoring his development after an impressive start in adult football and gave him a try-out in late 2019.
“It was hectic,” recalled the player. “Day one I trained with the youth team, the second day I trained with the senior squad, which was a total shock.
“On the Wednesday I played for his local side in the capital, travelled back and on the Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and netted a three goals. It was almost a certainty for me to put pen to paper on a deal.”
In just a year and a half, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his first-team debut against Luton.
He made eighty-three league appearances for the club while in his teens, frequently being used as a wide defender – and occasionally in attack as a attacking midfielder – such was his adaptability and versatility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was their best player.
Thanks to his ability to carry the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he picked up the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and England attacking midfielder Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he claimed the EFL Championship’s best young player award, was selected in the division’s best XI and was named Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.
“Without question, I think he’ll play for England and I think he will progress to the top of the game,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s manager at the club, stated last year.
Within 90 days after, he joined Bournemouth for a understood fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing his big move
Scott endured a difficult first season with the club, waiting until the autumn to make his Premier League debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then being inconsistent of the starting XI.
His second campaign was just as disrupted, this time by a knee operation which ruled him out for nearly four months.
“I had a decent run at the close of last season, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” said he.
“That felt like yet another obstacle and the year was shaping up as a pretty bad year for the first five months.”
But he was then called up by England for the Under-21 European Championships – and managed to get himself fit in time.
He started five of the Young Lions’ six games as they went on to win the tournament in Slovakia, forming a formidable understanding in midfield with his teammate, who himself has excelled for the senior side under Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started this season equally as strongly for Bournemouth, featuring in all matches to help them to the top five in the table.
“Representing the national team would be among the most special occasions of my life,” Scott said earlier this season.
“It’s down to me, I must keep progressing as a footballer, keep enjoying the game, improving day on day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the national coach and earn an opportunity.”
