Back when the young midfielder made 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 prediction proved to be something of an understatement.
Now aged 22 and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the playmaker has just received his maiden call-up to the full England team.
His ascent from non-league prodigy to potential England player is a proper blast from the past, a story seldom seen in the modern game.
Next stop? The World Cup?
“Back then, there was no chance of making it as a pro footballer, let alone playing in the Premier League and representing England as well,” the player said in a recent interview.
“It’s been a crazy five or six years of my life, and things have transformed completely for me and my family.”
So how did Alex Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself here?
Developing in non-league
Scott’s path in football has not been a typical one.
He was part of four and a half years in Southampton’s academy setup starting at eight, skipping school each Friday to travel by air from his home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could train and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.
Prior to his 13th birthday, though, they decided to let him go. The Cherries gave him an opportunity and he remained with them for a while, but, as he later admitted, his mind was not in it.
Rather, he opted to stay on the island and turn out for his local team.
“My form had dipped and flying over every week was becoming overwhelming,” he recalled.
“All I desired to chill at my home with my mates at weekends because I had missed almost four and a half years of doing that. To have that slice of youth again was something I really required.
“Building some confidence by returning and taking part in local football was huge for me. That proved to be perhaps the most crucial things that led me to this point.”
At the age of 16, the teenager became the youngest player in the club’s records when he was introduced as a 57th-minute replacement in their Isthmian League fixture at the opposition.
“I had sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the side because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss the coach stated at the time.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the way he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Second-tier club Bristol City – owned by islander their owner – had been monitoring Scott’s early progress after an impressive beginning in adult football and gave him a trial in December 2019.
“It was hectic,” said Scott. “Day one I trained with the under-18s, the second day I trained with the senior squad, which was a total shock.
“Midweek I featured for Guernsey FC in London, travelled back and on the Friday, I played for the youth team and scored a hat-trick. It was almost a certainty for me to sign a deal.”
Within a year and a half, still well before his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut against the Hatters.
Scott made eighty-three league outings for the club while still a teenager, often being used as a wide defender – and sometimes further forward as a number 10 – such was his versatility and flexibility. Even at that young age and playing out of position he was their best player.
Thanks to his ability to drive the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to City and England attacking midfielder Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the second tier’s best young player award, was selected in the league’s team of the year and was voted the club’s player and young player of the Year.
“Without question, I think he will represent his country and I think he will progress to the pinnacle of the game,” his former manager, the player’s boss at the club, stated last year.
Within 90 days later, he signed for Bournemouth for a understood transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing his major transfer
Scott experienced a challenging debut campaign with the club, waiting until October to make his Premier League debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then being inconsistent of the starting XI.
His second campaign was equally disrupted, this time by a knee operation which ruled him out for almost four months.
“There was a decent run at the end of last season, which was good to have, then I fractured my jaw,” said he.
“It was almost another setback and the year was turning out to be a pretty bad year for the first half.”
But he was then called up by England for the U21 Euros – and managed to get himself fit for the tournament.
He started five of the England U21s’ six matches as they claimed victory in the tournament in Slovakia, forming a strong partnership in midfield with his teammate, who himself has gone on to impress for the first team under the national coach.
And he has started the current campaign equally as strongly for his club, featuring in every game to help them to fifth in the standings.
“Representing the national team would be among the most special moments of my life,” the player stated recently.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to continue developing as a player, keep enjoying the game, improving every day, and with luck I catch the eye of the national coach and get my chance.”
