Back when the young midfielder made his local team debut versus Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 fans in 2019, his manager at the time predicted, “there’s more to come from this youngster.”
This prediction proved to be something of an underestimation.
Today 22 years old and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the midfielder has just received his first summons to the senior Three Lions team.
His ascent from non-league prodigy to potential England player is a true throwback, a story rarely seen in the modern era.
Next stop? A major tournament?
“In my mind, there was no chance of becoming a professional football player, let alone playing in the top division and playing for England as well,” Scott stated in a recent interview.
“It’s been a crazy five or six years of my life, and circumstances have transformed completely for me and my family.”
So how did Alex Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself at this level?
Learning in non-league
His football journey has been far from a conventional one.
He was part of four and a half years in the Saints’ youth system starting at eight, leaving school early every Friday to travel by air from his island home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could attend training and play for the club’s academy sides.
Before he turned 13, though, they decided to let him go. Bournemouth were willing to offer Scott an option and he remained with them for a time, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Instead, he opted to remain on Guernsey and play for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling weekly was starting to feel overwhelming,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to relax at home with my mates at the weekend because I missed nearly several years of doing that. Getting that slice of childhood again was a thing I definitely needed.
“To gain some confidence by returning and playing local football was huge for me. That proved to be probably the most crucial things 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 league fixture at the opposition.
“I had sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the team because he’s that good,” manager Tony Vance stated back then.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the way he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Returning to the professional game
Second-tier club the Robins – chaired by islander Steve Lansdown – had been tracking his early progress after an promising beginning in men’s football and gave him a trial in late 2019.
“It was chaos,” said the player. “The first day I joined the under-18s, the second day I was with the first team, which was a complete shock.
“On the Wednesday I played for Guernsey FC in London, returned home 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 deal.”
Within 18 months, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut against Luton.
He made eighty-three league outings for the Robins while still a teenager, often being deployed as a wide defender – and occasionally further forward as a number 10 – such was his adaptability and flexibility. Even at that young age and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
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 playmaker Jack Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he claimed the second tier’s young player of the season award, was chosen in the league’s best XI and was voted Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I think he’ll play for his country and I’m sure he will progress to the top of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s boss at the club, remarked last year.
Less than three months later, he joined Bournemouth for a reported transfer fee of £25m.
Getting his major transfer
The midfielder endured a challenging first season with the Cherries, waiting until the autumn to earn his Premier League debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then being in and out of the starting XI.
His following season was equally disrupted, this time by a surgery which ruled him out for nearly several months.
“There was quite a good run at the close of last season, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” said Scott.
“It was almost another obstacle and it was shaping up as quite a terrible year for the first five months.”
But he was then called up by the national team for the Under-21 European Championships – and managed to get himself fit in time.
He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six games as they claimed victory in the competition in Slovakia, developing a formidable understanding in midfield with his teammate, who in turn has gone on to impress for the senior side with the national coach.
And he has begun this season just as strongly for his club, playing in every game to guide them to the top five in the standings.
“Representing the national team would be one of the proudest moments of my life,” Scott stated recently.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to continue developing as a player, maintain my love for football, improving day on day, and hopefully I impress the national coach and earn an opportunity.”
