Back when the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his manager back then assured, “there’s more to come from this youngster.”
This prediction turned out to be something of an understatement.
Today aged 22 and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the playmaker has just received his maiden call-up to the senior Three Lions team.
His rise from non-league prodigy to potential international star is a proper throwback, a story rarely seen in the modern era.
Next stop? A major tournament?
“Back then, there was no chance of making it as a pro footballer, let alone playing in the Premier League and representing England as well,” Scott stated previously.
“It’s been a incredible five or six years of my life, and circumstances have changed drastically for myself and my loved ones.”
So in what way did Alex Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself at this level?
Developing in the lower tiers
Scott’s football journey has been far from a typical one.
He spent four and a half years in the Saints’ academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early every Friday to fly from his island home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could attend training and play for the Saints’ youth teams.
Before he turned 13, however, they decided to let him go. The Cherries were willing to offer him an option and he remained with them for a time, but, as he later admitted, his heart was not in it.
Instead, he opted to stay on Guernsey and turn out for his local team.
“My form had dipped and flying over weekly was starting to feel overwhelming,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to chill at home with my mates at weekends because I had missed nearly four and a half years of that experience. Getting that slice of childhood again was something I definitely required.
“Building a bit of confidence by returning and taking part in island football was huge for me. That proved to be probably one of the most important things that got me to this point.”
When he was just 16, the teenager made history as the youngest player in the club’s records when he came on as a 57th-minute replacement in their league match at Phoenix Sports.
“I’ve been having trouble sleeping because I was figuring out how I could include him in the team because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance stated at the time.
“People have witnessed that – his possession of the ball is exceptional, the manner he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”
Returning to the professional game
Championship side the Robins – owned by Guernsey resident their owner – had been tracking Scott’s development after an impressive beginning in men’s football and arranged a try-out in late 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” recalled Scott. “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 the capital, travelled back and by Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and netted a hat-trick. From that point a certainty for me to sign a contract.”
Within a year and a half, even well before his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut versus the Hatters.
Scott went on to make 83 league appearances for the Robins while in his teens, often being used as a wing-back – and sometimes further forward as a attacking midfielder – demonstrating his adaptability and flexibility. Even at that young age and not in his natural role he was their best player.
With his skill to carry the ball up the pitch, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and England playmaker Jack Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he claimed the EFL Championship’s best young player award, was selected in the division’s team of the year and was voted Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.
“Without question, I believe he will represent England and I’m sure he’ll go on to the top of the sport,” his former manager, Scott’s boss at Ashton Gate, stated last year.
Within three months after, he joined the Cherries for a reported fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing his major transfer
The midfielder endured a difficult first season with the Cherries, having to wait until the autumn to make his top-flight debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then being inconsistent of the team.
His following season was just as affected, this time by a surgery which ruled him out for almost four months.
“There was a decent run at the end of last season, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained he.
“It was almost another setback and the year was shaping up as a pretty bad year for the first half.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the Under-21 European Championships – and managed to get himself fit for the tournament.
He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six games as they claimed victory in the competition in Slovakia, forming a formidable understanding in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who himself has gone on to impress for the senior side with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has begun the current campaign just as impressively for Bournemouth, featuring in all matches to guide them to the top five in the standings.
“To play for the England senior team would be among the most special moments of my career,” the player said recently.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to continue developing as a footballer, maintain my love for the game, improving every day, and hopefully I impress the England manager and get my chance.”
