When the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his local team debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his manager back then assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
This statement turned out to be something of an understatement.
Now 22 years old and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the playmaker has just received his maiden summons to the senior Three Lions squad.
His ascent from eighth-tier talent to possible international star is a true blast from the past, a story rarely seen in the modern game.
Next stop? A major tournament?
“In my mind, there was no chance of becoming a pro footballer, never mind featuring in the Premier League and playing for England too,” Scott stated in a recent interview.
“It’s been a crazy five or six years of my life, and circumstances have transformed completely for myself and my family.”
So how did Alex Scott, known affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up at this level?
Learning in non-league
His football journey has not been a conventional one.
He spent four and a half years in the Saints’ academy setup from the age of eight, leaving school early every Friday to fly from his island home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could train and play for the Saints’ youth teams.
Before he turned 13, though, they decided to let him go. The Cherries gave Scott an opportunity and he remained with them for a while, but, as he later admitted, his heart wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he chose to remain on Guernsey and play for his hometown club.
“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling weekly was starting to feel overwhelming,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to chill at home with my mates at weekends because I missed almost several years of doing that. To have that slice of childhood again was something I definitely required.
“To gain some self-belief by coming back and playing island football was huge for me. That proved to be perhaps one of the most important factors that got 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 match at Phoenix Sports.
“I’ve been having trouble sleeping because I was figuring out how I could get him in the team because his talent is obvious,” manager Tony Vance commented back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his retention of the ball is exceptional, the way he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”
Making a comeback to the pro ranks
Championship side Bristol City – chaired by islander their owner – had been tracking Scott’s early progress after an impressive beginning in men’s football and arranged a trial in December 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” said Scott. “The first day I trained with the youth team, the next day I trained with the senior squad, which was a complete shock.
“On the Wednesday I played for Guernsey FC in the capital, returned home and by Friday, I took the field for Bristol City Under-18s and netted a three goals. From that point a done deal for me to sign a deal.”
In just 18 months, still well before his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut against the Hatters.
Scott went on to make eighty-three league appearances for the Robins while still a teenager, frequently being used as a wide defender – and sometimes in attack as a number 10 – demonstrating his adaptability and flexibility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was their best player.
With his skill to drive the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and England attacking midfielder Jack Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the EFL Championship’s young player of the season honour, was chosen in the division’s team of the year and was voted the club’s player and young player of the Year.
“No doubt, I think he will represent England and I think he will progress to the pinnacle of the sport,” his former manager, the player’s boss at Ashton Gate, remarked previously.
Less than three months after, he signed for the Cherries for a reported fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his major transfer
Scott endured a difficult debut campaign with the Cherries, having to wait until the autumn to earn his Premier League debut after a knee problem 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 four months.
“There was a decent run at the end of last season, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained Scott.
“It was almost another setback and it was turning out to be quite a terrible year for the first half.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the U21 Euros – and managed to regain fitness for the tournament.
He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six games as they claimed victory in the competition in Slovakia, forming a strong understanding in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has excelled for the first team with the national coach.
And he has started the current campaign just as impressively for his club, featuring in all matches to guide them to fifth in the table.
“To play for the England senior team would be among the most special occasions of my life,” Scott stated recently.
“The responsibility is mine, I must continue developing as a footballer, maintain my love for the game, getting better day on day, and with luck I catch the eye of the national coach and get my chance.”
