Back when the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his coach back then predicted, “there’s more to come from this youngster.”
This statement proved to be something of an underestimation.
Now aged 22 and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the playmaker has earned his first summons to the senior Three Lions squad.
His rise from non-league prodigy to possible international star is a proper blast from the past, a journey rarely seen in the modern game.
Next stop? A major tournament?
“Back then, there was zero possibility of making it as a pro footballer, never mind featuring in the Premier League and representing the national team as well,” the player said in a recent interview.
“It has been a incredible five or six years of my life, and things have transformed completely for myself and my loved ones.”
But in what way did Alex Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself here?
Developing in the lower tiers
His football journey has been far from a conventional one.
He spent four and a half years in Southampton’s academy setup from the age of eight, leaving school early each Friday to fly from his home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could attend training and feature for the club’s academy sides.
Before his 13th birthday, though, they decided to let him go. Bournemouth were willing to offer Scott an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a time, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart was not in it.
Instead, he opted to stay on Guernsey and turn out for his hometown club.
“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling weekly was starting to feel a bit too much,” he explained.
“I just wanted to chill at my home with my friends at the weekend because I missed almost four and a half years of doing that. Getting that slice of youth back was something I really needed.
“To gain a bit of confidence by returning and playing island football was massive for me. That proved to be probably the most crucial factors that led me where I am today.”
When he was just 16, the teenager became the most youthful appearance-maker in the club’s records when he came on as a 57th-minute replacement in their Isthmian League fixture at Phoenix Sports.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could include him in the side because his talent is obvious,” manager Tony Vance stated back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the way he runs with the ball, he’s a class act.”
Returning to the professional game
Championship side the Robins – owned by islander Steve Lansdown – had been tracking his early progress after an promising start in men’s football and arranged a trial in December 2019.
“The whole experience was chaos,” said Scott. “Day one I joined the youth team, the second day I trained with the first team, which was a total surprise.
“Midweek I played for his local side in London, travelled back and on the Friday, I took the field for the youth team and scored a three goals. It was almost a certainty for me to sign a contract.”
In just 18 months, even well before his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut against the Hatters.
Scott went on to make 83 league appearances for the Robins while in his teens, frequently being deployed as a wing-back – and occasionally in attack as a number 10 – demonstrating his versatility and versatility. Despite his youth and playing out of position he was their best player.
Thanks to his ability to carry the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he picked up the moniker ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and national team attacking midfielder Jack Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he won the second tier’s best young player award, was selected in the division’s team of the year and was named Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.
“Without question, I think he will represent England and I’m sure he will progress to the pinnacle of the game,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s manager at Ashton Gate, remarked last year.
Less than three months after, he signed for Bournemouth for a understood transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing his big move
The midfielder experienced a challenging first season with the club, waiting until the autumn to make his top-flight debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then finding himself in and out of the starting XI.
His following season was just as disrupted, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for nearly several months.
“I had a decent 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 obstacle and the year was turning out to be a pretty bad start for the first five months.”
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 Young Lions’ six games as they went on to win the competition in Slovakia, forming a formidable understanding in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has excelled for the senior side under Thomas Tuchel.
And he has begun the current campaign just as strongly for his club, playing in all matches to help them to the top five in the standings.
“Representing the national team would be one of the proudest moments of my career,” Scott said recently.
“The responsibility is mine, I must continue developing as a footballer, maintain my love for the game, improving day on day, and with luck I impress the national coach and get my chance.”
