When Alex Scott stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 spectators in 2019, his manager back then assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
That statement proved to be a bit of an underestimation.
Today aged 22 and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the playmaker has just received his first call-up to the full England squad.
His rise from non-league prodigy to potential international star is a proper blast from the past, a journey rarely told in the modern game.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was no chance of making it as a pro footballer, never mind featuring in the Premier League and playing for the national team too,” the player stated previously.
“It has been a incredible five or six years of my life, and circumstances have changed completely for me and my loved ones.”
But how did Alex Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, end up at this level?
Developing in the lower tiers
Scott’s path in football has been far from a conventional one.
He was part of over four years in Southampton’s academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early every Friday to travel by air from his home on the Channel Island to the mainland so he could train and feature for the club’s academy sides.
Prior to his 13th birthday, however, they released him. The Cherries were willing to offer Scott an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a time, but, as he later admitted, his heart wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he opted to remain on the island and turn out for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and traveling weekly was becoming overwhelming,” he recalled.
“All I desired to chill at home with my friends at the weekend because I missed almost several years of that experience. Getting that little bit of childhood back was something I really needed.
“To gain a bit of confidence by coming back and taking part in island football was huge for me. It was probably one of the most important things that got me to this point.”
At the age of 16, Scott made history as the most youthful appearance-maker in Guernsey’s history when he came on as a 57th-minute replacement in their Isthmian League match at the opposition.
“I’ve been having trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the team because he’s that good,” manager Tony Vance commented at the time.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is exceptional, the way he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Second-tier club the Robins – owned by islander their owner – had been monitoring his early progress after an promising start in men’s football and arranged a trial in late 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” said the player. “Day one I joined the under-18s, the second day I was with the senior squad, which was a complete shock.
“Midweek I played for Guernsey FC in London, travelled back and on the Friday, I played for the youth team and netted a hat-trick. It was almost a certainty for me to put pen to paper on a contract.”
Within 18 months, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his first-team debut versus Luton.
He made eighty-three league outings for the club while still a teenager, often being used as a wing-back – and occasionally in attack as a attacking midfielder – demonstrating his adaptability and flexibility. Even at that young age and playing out of position he was the standout performer.
With his ability to carry the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to City and national team playmaker Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he claimed the EFL Championship’s best young player honour, was selected in the division’s best XI and was voted Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I believe he’ll play for his country and I’m sure he will progress to the top of the game,” his former manager, Scott’s manager at the club, remarked previously.
Less than three months later, he signed for Bournemouth for a reported transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his major transfer
The midfielder endured a challenging first season with the Cherries, having to wait 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 equally affected, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for nearly four months.
“There was quite a good run at the end of last season, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained Scott.
“That felt like yet another obstacle and the year 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 U21 Euros – and succeeded in regain fitness for the tournament.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six games as they went on to win the tournament in the host nation, developing a formidable partnership in the middle with his teammate, who himself has excelled for the senior side under the national coach.
And he has begun this season equally as strongly for Bournemouth, featuring in all matches to guide them to the top five in the table.
“To play for the national team would be one of the proudest occasions of my career,” the player stated earlier this season.
“It’s down to me, I must keep progressing as a player, keep enjoying football, improving day on day, and with luck I catch the eye of the England manager and get my chance.”
