When the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 fans in 2019, his manager back then predicted, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
This statement proved to be something of an understatement.
Now aged 22 and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the playmaker has earned his maiden call-up to the full Three Lions squad.
His ascent from non-league prodigy to possible England player is a true blast from the past, a journey seldom seen in the modern era.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was zero possibility of making it as a pro footballer, never mind playing in the Premier League and representing England as well,” the player stated previously.
“It has been a crazy half-dozen years of my life, and circumstances have transformed completely for myself and my family.”
But how did Alex Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up here?
Developing in non-league
Scott’s path in football has been far from a conventional one.
He was part of four and a half years in the Saints’ academy setup starting at eight, skipping school each Friday to fly from his island home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could train and play for the club’s academy sides.
Before he turned 13, however, they decided to let him go. The Cherries were willing to offer 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 opted to remain on the island and play for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over weekly was becoming a bit too much,” he recalled.
“All I desired to chill at my home with my friends at weekends because I missed almost four and a half years of that experience. Getting that slice of childhood back was a thing I definitely needed.
“To gain some self-belief by returning and taking part in local football was massive for me. That proved to be probably one of the most important factors that led me to this point.”
When he was just 16, the teenager became the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a 57th-minute replacement in their league match at Phoenix Sports.
“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could get him in the team because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance stated back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is exceptional, the way he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Second-tier club Bristol City – owned by islander their owner – had been tracking his development after an impressive beginning in men’s football and gave him a trial in December 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” said the player. “Day one I trained with the youth team, the next day I was with the senior squad, which was a complete shock.
“On the Wednesday I played for Guernsey FC in London, returned home and on the Friday, I took the field for the youth team and netted a three goals. From that point a certainty for me to sign a contract.”
In just 18 months, even well before his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut against the Hatters.
Scott made 83 league outings for the club while in his teens, frequently being deployed as a wide defender – and sometimes further forward as a number 10 – demonstrating his versatility and versatility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was their best player.
Thanks to his skill to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to City and England attacking midfielder Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the second tier’s best young player honour, was selected in the league’s best XI and was named Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.
“No doubt, I think he’ll play for England and I think he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s manager at Ashton Gate, stated previously.
Within three months after, he joined the Cherries for a understood fee of £25m.
Getting his big move
The midfielder experienced a challenging first season with the Cherries, waiting until October to earn his top-flight debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then finding himself inconsistent of the starting XI.
His following season was equally affected, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for nearly four months.
“I had quite a good run at the close of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained he.
“It was almost another setback and it was turning out to be a pretty bad year for the first half.”
But he was then selected by England for the Under-21 European Championships – and succeeded in regain fitness for the tournament.
He started five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they claimed victory in the competition in Slovakia, developing a formidable understanding in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who himself has gone on to impress for the first team with the national coach.
And he has begun this season just as impressively for Bournemouth, featuring in every game to help them to fifth in the table.
“Representing the national team would be among the most special moments of my life,” Scott said recently.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to keep progressing as a footballer, maintain my love for football, getting better day on day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the national coach and get my chance.”
