When Alex Scott made his local team debut against Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 fans in 2019, his manager back then assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
That prediction proved to be a bit of an understatement.
Now aged 22 and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the midfielder has earned his maiden summons to the senior England team.
His rise from eighth-tier talent to potential international star is a true blast from the past, a story seldom told in the modern era.
Next stop? The World Cup?
“Back then, there was no chance of becoming a pro footballer, let alone featuring in the Premier League and representing England as well,” the player said previously.
“It has been a crazy half-dozen years of my life, and circumstances have changed drastically for myself and my loved ones.”
But how did Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself at this level?
Developing in non-league
His path in football has not been 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 home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could train and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.
Prior to his 13th birthday, though, they released him. Bournemouth gave him an opportunity and he was on the Cherries’ books for a time, but, as he later admitted, his heart was not in it.
Rather, he opted to stay on Guernsey and turn out for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and flying over weekly was becoming a bit too much,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to chill at home with my mates at the weekend because I had missed almost four and a half years of doing that. To have that little bit of childhood back was a thing I really required.
“To gain some confidence by coming back and playing local football was massive for me. It was probably the most crucial factors that got me where I am today.”
When he was just 16, the teenager became the most youthful appearance-maker in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a 57th-minute substitute in their league match at Phoenix Sports.
“I’ve been having sleepless nights 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 pure quality.”
Making a comeback to the professional game
Second-tier club Bristol City – owned by Guernsey resident their owner – had been tracking Scott’s early progress after an promising start in men’s football and gave him a trial in late 2019.
“The whole experience was chaos,” said Scott. “Day one I trained with the under-18s, the second day I trained with the senior squad, which was a total shock.
“On the Wednesday I played for Guernsey FC in London, 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 contract.”
Within 18 months, even well before his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut against the Hatters.
Scott made 83 league appearances for the Robins while still a teenager, frequently being deployed as a wing-back – and occasionally further forward as a number 10 – such was his versatility and flexibility. Even at that young age and playing out of position he was the standout performer.
With his ability to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he picked up the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and national team playmaker Jack Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he claimed the EFL Championship’s best young player honour, was selected in the league’s best XI and was voted Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“No doubt, I believe he’ll play for his country and I think he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s boss at the club, remarked previously.
Within three months later, he joined Bournemouth for a understood fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his major transfer
Scott experienced a challenging debut campaign with the club, waiting until the autumn to make his Premier League debut after a knee problem in the summer, and then being inconsistent of the team.
His second campaign was just as affected, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for nearly several months.
“There was quite a good run at the close of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” said Scott.
“That felt like yet another setback and it was turning out to be quite a terrible start for the first half.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the Under-21 European Championships – and succeeded in get himself fit for the tournament.
He started five of the Young Lions’ six games as they went on to win the tournament in Slovakia, developing a formidable understanding in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who himself has gone on to impress for the first team with the national coach.
And he has begun this season equally as impressively for his club, playing in all matches to guide them to the top five in the standings.
“Representing the England senior team would be one of the proudest occasions of my career,” 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 England manager and get my chance.”
