Back when the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 fans in 2019, his manager at the time assured, “there’s more to come from this youngster.”
This prediction turned out to be something of an understatement.
Now aged 22 and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the midfielder has earned his maiden summons to the full Three Lions squad.
His rise from eighth-tier talent to possible England player is a true blast from the past, a story rarely told in the modern era.
Next stop? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was no chance of becoming a pro footballer, never mind featuring in the Premier League and playing for the national team too,” Scott said previously.
“It has been a crazy half-dozen years of my life, and things have transformed completely for myself and my family.”
So how did Alex Scott, known fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, end up at this level?
Learning in the lower tiers
His football journey has not been a conventional one.
He was part of over four years in the Saints’ academy setup from the age of eight, leaving school early each Friday to travel by air from his island home on the Channel Island to the mainland so he could attend training and play for the club’s academy sides.
Prior to he turned 13, though, they released him. Bournemouth were willing to offer him an opportunity and he was on the Cherries’ books for a time, but, as he later admitted, his mind was not in it.
Instead, he chose to stay on Guernsey and turn out for his hometown club.
“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over weekly was becoming overwhelming,” he explained.
“All I desired to relax at my home with my friends at weekends because I had missed nearly several years of doing that. To have that little bit of youth back was something I really required.
“To gain a bit of confidence by returning and playing local football was huge for me. That proved to be perhaps the most crucial things that led me to this point.”
When he was just 16, Scott made history as the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a second-half substitute in their Isthmian League match at the opposition.
“I’ve been having trouble sleeping because I was figuring out how I could get him in the team because he’s that good,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance stated back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the manner he runs with the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Making a comeback to the pro ranks
Second-tier club Bristol City – chaired by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been tracking Scott’s development after an impressive start 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.
“Midweek I played for Guernsey FC in the capital, returned home and by Friday, I played for the youth team and scored a hat-trick. It was almost a certainty for me to sign a deal.”
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 made eighty-three league outings for the club while still a teenager, frequently being used as a wide defender – and occasionally further forward as a attacking midfielder – such was his adaptability and flexibility. Even at that young age and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
With his ability to drive the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he picked up the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and national team attacking midfielder Jack Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he claimed the second tier’s young player of the season award, was selected in the league’s team of the year and was named Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.
“Without question, I believe he’ll play for his country and I think he’ll go on to the top of the sport,” his former manager, Scott’s manager at the club, stated previously.
Less than 90 days after, he signed for Bournemouth for a understood transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing his big move
Scott experienced a difficult debut campaign with the Cherries, waiting until the autumn to make his Premier League debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then being inconsistent of the team.
His following season was just as affected, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for nearly four months.
“I had quite a good run at the close of last season, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” said he.
“It was almost another setback and the year was shaping up as quite a terrible year for the first half.”
But he was then called up by the national team for the U21 Euros – and managed to get himself fit in time.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six games as they went on to win the competition in the host nation, developing a formidable understanding in midfield with his teammate, who in turn has excelled for the first team with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started this season equally as strongly for his club, playing in all matches to guide them to fifth in the standings.
“To play for the England senior team would be among the most special moments of my career,” Scott stated recently.
“It’s down to me, I must continue developing as a footballer, keep enjoying the game, getting better every day, and hopefully I impress the England manager and get my chance.”
