Back when the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his local team debut against Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 fans in 2019, his coach back then assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”
This prediction turned out to be something of an underestimation.
Now aged 22 and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the midfielder has earned his first call-up to the senior England team.
His ascent from non-league prodigy to possible England player is a true blast from the past, a journey seldom told in the modern game.
Next stop? The World Cup?
“Back then, there was zero possibility of making it as a professional football player, let alone playing in the Premier League and representing England as well,” Scott stated in a recent interview.
“It’s been a crazy five or six years of my life, and things have transformed drastically for me and my loved ones.”
But how did Alex Scott, known fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself at this level?
Developing in non-league
His path in football has been far from a conventional one.
He spent over four years in Southampton’s academy setup starting at eight, skipping school every Friday to travel by air from his home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could train and feature for the club’s academy sides.
Prior to his 13th birthday, however, they released him. Bournemouth gave him an opportunity and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he opted to remain on the island and turn out for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling weekly was becoming a bit too much,” he explained.
“All I desired to relax at home with my friends at the weekend because I had missed nearly several years of doing that. Getting that slice of childhood back was something I definitely required.
“To gain some self-belief by returning and playing local football was huge for me. It was perhaps one of the most important 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 came on as a 57th-minute replacement in their league fixture at the opposition.
“I had sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could include him in the team because his talent is obvious,” manager the coach commented back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the manner he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”
Making a comeback to the professional game
Championship side the Robins – chaired by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring his early progress after an impressive start in adult football and arranged a trial in late 2019.
“It was chaos,” said the player. “Day one I joined the under-18s, the second day I was with the senior squad, which was a total shock.
“Midweek I featured for Guernsey FC in London, returned home and by Friday, I took the field for the youth team and scored a three goals. From that point a done deal for me to put pen to paper on a contract.”
In just 18 months, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut against Luton.
Scott made eighty-three league appearances for the Robins while in his teens, frequently being deployed as a wide defender – and sometimes in attack as a attacking midfielder – demonstrating his adaptability and flexibility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was their best player.
With his ability to drive the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a nod to City and national team attacking midfielder Jack Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he won the EFL Championship’s young player of the season award, was chosen in the league’s best XI and was named Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I think he will represent his country and I think he’ll go on to the top of the game,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s manager at the club, stated previously.
Within three months later, he signed for Bournemouth for a reported transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his big move
Scott experienced a challenging first season with the Cherries, having to wait until October to make his Premier League debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then finding himself inconsistent of the starting XI.
His second campaign was equally affected, this time by a knee operation which ruled him out for nearly four months.
“There was a decent run at the close of last season, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained he.
“It was yet another obstacle and it was shaping up as a pretty bad start for the first five months.”
But he was then called up by the national team for the Under-21 European Championships – and managed to regain fitness in time.
He started five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they claimed victory in the tournament in Slovakia, developing a strong understanding in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has gone on to impress for the first team with the national coach.
And he has begun the current campaign equally as impressively for his club, playing in every game to help them to the top five in the standings.
“Representing the England senior team would be among the most special occasions of my career,” the player said recently.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to continue developing as a footballer, keep enjoying the game, getting better every day, and hopefully I impress the England manager and earn an opportunity.”
