Back when Alex Scott made his local team 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 boy.”
That statement turned out to be something of an understatement.
Now aged 22 and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the playmaker has just received his first call-up to the full Three Lions team.
His rise from eighth-tier talent to possible England player is a true blast from the past, a journey seldom seen in the modern game.
What’s next? A major tournament?
“In my mind, there was zero possibility of making it as a professional football player, never mind playing in the top division and representing the national team as well,” the player stated previously.
“It’s been a crazy five or six years of my life, and things have transformed drastically for me and my family.”
But in what way did Alex Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself at this level?
Developing in non-league
His football journey has not been a typical one.
He spent over four years in Southampton’s youth system starting at eight, skipping school each Friday to travel by air from his home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could train and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.
Prior to his 13th birthday, however, they released him. The Cherries gave him an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he chose to remain on Guernsey and turn out for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and traveling every week was becoming a bit too much,” he explained.
“All I desired to relax at home with my friends at weekends because I had missed nearly four and a half years of doing that. Getting that little bit of childhood again was a thing I definitely needed.
“To gain a bit of confidence by coming back and taking part in island football was massive for me. It was perhaps one of the most important factors that got me to this point.”
At the age of 16, the teenager made history as the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a 57th-minute replacement in their Isthmian League fixture at Phoenix Sports.
“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could get him in the team because he’s that good,” manager Tony Vance commented at the time.
“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 professional game
Second-tier club Bristol City – chaired by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring Scott’s development after an promising start in men’s football and arranged a try-out in late 2019.
“The whole experience was chaos,” recalled Scott. “The first day 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, returned home and on the Friday, I took the field for the youth team and netted a hat-trick. It was almost a done deal for me to put pen to paper on a contract.”
In just a year and a half, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut against the Hatters.
He went on to make 83 league outings for the Robins while still a teenager, frequently being used as a wide defender – and sometimes further forward as a attacking midfielder – such was his adaptability and versatility. Even at that young age and playing out of position he was the standout performer.
With his ability to carry the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and national team playmaker Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he claimed the EFL Championship’s best young player honour, was chosen in the division’s best XI and was named the club’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I believe he’ll play for his country and I think he will progress to the top of the game,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s manager at the club, stated last year.
Less than three months after, he signed for Bournemouth for a reported fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing his major transfer
The midfielder experienced a challenging debut campaign with the Cherries, having to wait until the autumn to make his top-flight debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then being inconsistent of the team.
His second campaign was equally affected, this time by a knee operation which ruled him out for almost several months.
“There was a decent run at the close of last season, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” said Scott.
“That felt like almost another obstacle and it was turning out to be a pretty bad 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 started five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they claimed victory in the tournament in the host nation, forming a formidable understanding in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who himself has gone on to impress for the senior side with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has begun the current campaign just as strongly for Bournemouth, playing in every game to help them to fifth in the table.
“Representing the national team would be one of the proudest moments of my career,” Scott said earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I must keep progressing as a footballer, maintain my love for football, improving every day, and hopefully I impress the national coach and earn an opportunity.”
