When the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 fans in 2019, his coach at the time predicted, “there’s more to come from this youngster.”
That statement proved to be a bit of an underestimation.
Now 22 years old and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the midfielder has just received his maiden summons to the full Three Lions squad.
His rise from eighth-tier talent to potential international star 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 making it as a pro footballer, let alone playing in the top division and playing for England too,” Scott stated previously.
“It’s been a incredible five or six years of my life, and circumstances have transformed drastically for myself and my loved ones.”
So in what way did Alex Scott, known affectionately as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, end up here?
Learning in non-league
Scott’s football journey has not been a conventional one.
He was part of four and a half years in Southampton’s youth system starting at eight, skipping school each Friday to fly from his island home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could train and feature for the club’s academy sides.
Prior to his 13th birthday, though, they released him. Bournemouth gave Scott an option and he remained with them for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart was not in it.
Instead, he opted to remain on Guernsey and play for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling every week was becoming overwhelming,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to relax at my home with my friends at weekends because I missed almost several years of doing that. To have that slice of childhood again was something I definitely required.
“Building a bit of confidence by returning and playing island football was massive for me. That proved to be probably the most crucial things that led me where I am today.”
At the age of 16, the teenager became the youngest player in the club’s records when he came on as a second-half replacement in their league match at Phoenix Sports.
“I’ve been having trouble sleeping because I was trying to work 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 outstanding, the manner he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”
Making a comeback to the professional game
Second-tier club Bristol City – owned by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring Scott’s early progress after an promising start in men’s football and gave him a trial in December 2019.
“It was chaos,” said the player. “Day one I joined the under-18s, the next day I was with the senior squad, which was a complete surprise.
“On the Wednesday I played for his local side in the capital, travelled back and on the Friday, I played for the youth team and netted a hat-trick. It was almost a certainty for me to sign a contract.”
Within a year and a half, even well before his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut against the Hatters.
Scott went on to make 83 league appearances for the Robins while still a teenager, frequently being deployed as a wing-back – and occasionally in attack as a number 10 – demonstrating his adaptability and versatility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was their best player.
With his ability to drive the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a nod to City and national team playmaker Jack Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the EFL Championship’s young player of the season award, was chosen in the league’s team of the year and was voted Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.
“Without question, I believe he will represent his country and I think he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the game,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s boss at Ashton Gate, stated last year.
Less than 90 days after, he signed for the Cherries for a reported transfer fee of £25m.
Securing his major transfer
The midfielder experienced a difficult debut campaign with the Cherries, having to wait until the autumn to earn his top-flight debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then being in and out of the starting XI.
His second campaign was just as affected, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for nearly several months.
“I had quite a good run at the end of last season, which was good to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained he.
“It was almost another setback and the year was shaping up as a pretty bad start 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 started five of the England U21s’ six matches as they went on to win the competition in Slovakia, forming a strong understanding in midfield with his teammate, who himself has gone on to impress for the senior side under Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started this season just as strongly for Bournemouth, featuring in every game to guide them to fifth in the table.
“To play for the national team would be one of the proudest moments of my career,” the player stated earlier this season.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to keep progressing as a footballer, keep enjoying football, getting better every day, and hopefully I impress the national coach and get my chance.”
