Back when the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 spectators in 2019, his manager at the time assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
That statement proved to be something of an understatement.
Today aged 22 and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the midfielder has earned his maiden call-up to the senior Three Lions team.
His rise from eighth-tier talent to potential international star is a proper blast from the past, a story seldom seen in the modern game.
What’s next? A major tournament?
“In my mind, there was no chance of becoming a pro footballer, never mind playing in the top division and playing for England as well,” Scott stated previously.
“It has been a crazy five or six years of my life, and things have changed drastically for myself and my loved ones.”
So in what way did Alex Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up at this level?
Learning in non-league
Scott’s path in football has not been a typical one.
He was part of over four 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 attend training and play for the Saints’ youth teams.
Prior to his 13th birthday, however, they decided to let him go. The Cherries were willing to offer Scott an option and he remained with them for a time, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Instead, he opted to remain on the island and play for his local team.
“My form had dipped and flying over every week was starting to feel a bit too much,” he explained.
“All I desired to relax at home with my mates at the weekend because I had missed almost several years of that experience. To have that little bit of childhood again was something I definitely needed.
“Building a bit of confidence by returning and playing island football was massive for me. That proved to be probably one of the most important things that led me to this point.”
When he was just 16, the teenager made history as the youngest player in the club’s records when he was introduced as a second-half substitute in their Isthmian League fixture at Phoenix Sports.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was figuring out how I could include him in the team because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss the coach commented at the time.
“People have witnessed that – his possession of the ball is exceptional, the way he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”
Making a comeback to the professional game
Second-tier club the Robins – chaired by islander their owner – had been monitoring Scott’s early progress after an promising beginning in men’s football and gave him a trial in December 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” recalled the player. “Day one I joined the under-18s, the second day I was with the first team, which was a complete shock.
“Midweek I played for his local side in the capital, travelled back and by Friday, I played 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.”
Within 18 months, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut against the Hatters.
He made eighty-three league appearances 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 not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
With his ability to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he picked up the moniker ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to City and England playmaker Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he won the second tier’s best young player honour, was selected in the league’s team of the year and was named the club’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I believe he will represent his country and I’m sure he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the sport,” his former manager, the player’s boss at Ashton Gate, remarked previously.
Less than 90 days after, he joined the Cherries for a reported fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing his major transfer
Scott experienced a difficult first season with the club, having to wait until the autumn to make his Premier League debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then being inconsistent of the starting XI.
His following season was just as disrupted, this time by a knee operation which ruled him out for nearly four months.
“I had quite a good run at the close of the previous campaign, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” said Scott.
“It was yet another obstacle 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 Under-21 European Championships – and managed to get himself fit for the tournament.
He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six games as they went on to win the competition in the host nation, forming a strong understanding in midfield with his teammate, who himself has excelled for the senior side under Thomas Tuchel.
And he has begun the current campaign just as impressively for Bournemouth, playing 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 career,” Scott said recently.
“It’s down to me, I must continue developing as a footballer, maintain my love for the game, improving every day, and with luck I impress the England manager and earn an opportunity.”
