When Alex Scott made his local team debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 fans in 2019, his coach at the time predicted, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”
This statement proved to be a bit of an underestimation.
Today 22 years old and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the playmaker has earned his maiden summons to the senior Three Lions squad.
His rise from non-league prodigy to possible England player 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 making it as a pro footballer, never mind playing in the top division and representing England too,” the player said in a recent interview.
“It’s been a crazy half-dozen years of my life, and things have transformed drastically for myself and my family.”
But in what way did Alex Scott, known fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself here?
Learning in the lower tiers
Scott’s football journey has not been a typical one.
He was part of four and a half years in Southampton’s academy setup from the age of eight, leaving school early each Friday to fly from his island home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could train and play for the club’s academy sides.
Before his 13th birthday, though, they decided to let him go. Bournemouth gave him an opportunity 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 the island and play for his hometown club.
“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over every week was becoming overwhelming,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to relax at home with my friends at weekends because I had missed nearly several years of that experience. Getting that little bit of childhood again was a thing I definitely needed.
“To gain some confidence by coming back and taking part in local football was massive for me. It was perhaps the most crucial factors that got me where I am today.”
At the age of 16, Scott made history as the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a 57th-minute substitute in their Isthmian League match at Phoenix Sports.
“I had sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the team because he’s that good,” Guernsey boss the coach stated back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the way he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”
Returning to the professional game
Second-tier club the Robins – chaired by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring Scott’s development after an impressive beginning in men’s football and gave him a try-out in late 2019.
“The whole experience was chaos,” recalled the player. “The first day I trained with the youth team, the next day I trained with the senior squad, which was a complete surprise.
“Midweek I featured for his local side in London, returned home and by Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and scored a hat-trick. From that point a certainty for me to put pen to paper on a contract.”
In just 18 months, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut versus Luton.
He went on to make eighty-three league appearances for the club while still a teenager, frequently being used as a wing-back – and occasionally in attack as a number 10 – such was his adaptability and versatility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
With his ability to carry 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 young player of the season honour, was selected in the division’s team of the year and was voted Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“No doubt, I believe he will represent England and I’m sure he will progress to the top of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s boss at Ashton Gate, stated last year.
Less than 90 days later, he signed for the Cherries for a reported fee of £25m.
Getting his major transfer
Scott endured a challenging debut campaign with the club, waiting until the autumn to earn his top-flight debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then finding himself in and out of the team.
His second campaign was equally affected, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for almost several months.
“There was quite a good run at the close of last season, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained he.
“That felt like almost another obstacle and the year was shaping up as quite a terrible year for the first half.”
But he was then called up by England for the Under-21 European Championships – and succeeded in get himself fit for the tournament.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they claimed victory in the tournament in Slovakia, developing a strong understanding in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who himself has gone on to impress for the senior side under the national coach.
And he has started the current campaign just as impressively for Bournemouth, playing in all matches to guide them to fifth in the table.
“Representing the national team would be among the most special occasions of my life,” Scott stated recently.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to keep progressing as a player, maintain my love for football, improving day on day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the England manager and get my chance.”
