When Alex Scott made his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports before just 55 fans in 2019, his manager at the time assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this youngster.”
That prediction turned out to be something of an understatement.
Now 22 years old and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the midfielder has just received his first summons to the full Three Lions squad.
His ascent from eighth-tier talent to possible international star is a true blast from the past, a journey rarely seen in the modern era.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was zero possibility of making it as a professional football player, let alone playing in the top division and playing for England as well,” the player said previously.
“It’s been a incredible half-dozen years of my life, and circumstances have transformed drastically for myself and my loved ones.”
So in what way did Alex Scott, known fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, end up at this level?
Learning in non-league
His football journey has not been a typical one.
He was part of over four years in the Saints’ 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, though, 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 was not in it.
Instead, he opted to stay on the island and play for his local team.
“My form had dipped and traveling every week was starting to feel overwhelming,” he explained.
“All I desired to relax at my home with my mates at the weekend because I had missed nearly several years of doing that. To have that little bit of childhood back was a thing I definitely required.
“Building a bit of confidence by returning and playing local football was huge for me. That proved to be probably the most crucial things that led me where I am today.”
At the age of 16, Scott made history as the most youthful appearance-maker in the club’s records when he was introduced as a 57th-minute substitute in their league fixture at the opposition.
“I’ve been having trouble sleeping 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 at the time.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is exceptional, the way he runs with the ball, he’s a class act.”
Making a comeback to the professional game
Second-tier club Bristol City – chaired by islander their owner – had been tracking Scott’s development after an impressive beginning in men’s football and gave him a trial in December 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” said Scott. “Day one I joined the under-18s, the next day I was with the senior squad, which was a complete shock.
“On the Wednesday I featured for his local side in London, travelled back and on the Friday, I played for the youth team and netted a three goals. From that point a done deal for me to put pen to paper on a deal.”
Within a year and a half, even well before his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut against Luton.
Scott made 83 league outings for the club while in his teens, frequently being deployed as a wing-back – and occasionally in attack as a number 10 – demonstrating his adaptability and versatility. Even at that young age and playing out of position he was the standout performer.
Thanks to his skill to carry the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he picked up the moniker ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to City and England playmaker Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he won the EFL Championship’s best young player award, was selected in the division’s team of the year and was named Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.
“Without question, I think he’ll play for England and I’m sure he will progress to the pinnacle of the game,” his former manager, the player’s boss at the club, remarked previously.
Less than 90 days later, he signed for Bournemouth for a reported transfer fee of £25m.
Getting his big move
Scott endured a difficult first season with the club, waiting until the autumn to earn his Premier League debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then finding himself inconsistent of the team.
His following season was just as disrupted, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for nearly several months.
“I had a decent run at the close of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” said he.
“That felt like almost another obstacle and it was turning out to be a pretty bad year for the first half.”
But he was then called up by the national team for the Under-21 European Championships – and succeeded in regain fitness in time.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they went on to win the tournament in Slovakia, forming a strong understanding in midfield with his teammate, who himself has gone on to impress for the first team with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has begun this season just as strongly for Bournemouth, featuring in all matches to guide them to fifth in the standings.
“To play for the England senior team would be one of the proudest moments of my life,” Scott stated recently.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to keep progressing as a footballer, maintain my love for football, improving every day, and with luck I catch the eye of the national coach and get my chance.”
