When Alex Scott made his local team debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 fans in 2019, his manager back then predicted, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
This statement turned out to be a bit of an understatement.
Now 22 years old and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the midfielder has earned his first call-up to the senior Three Lions team.
His ascent from eighth-tier talent to possible England player is a true blast from the past, a story seldom seen in the modern era.
What’s next? A major tournament?
“Back then, there was no chance of making it as a pro footballer, let alone playing in the Premier League and playing for England as well,” Scott stated previously.
“It’s been a crazy five or six years of my life, and circumstances have changed drastically for me and my loved ones.”
So how did Alex Scott, known fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself here?
Learning in non-league
His football journey has not been a typical one.
He spent four and a half years in Southampton’s academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early every Friday to fly from his home on the Channel Island to the south coast so he could attend training and play for the Saints’ youth teams.
Prior to he turned 13, however, they decided to let him go. The Cherries were willing to offer him an opportunity and he was on the Cherries’ books for a time, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Instead, he chose to remain on Guernsey and turn out for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over weekly was becoming a bit too much,” he explained.
“All I desired to relax at my home with my friends at weekends because I missed nearly several years of that experience. To have that slice of youth again was a thing I really required.
“To gain some confidence by returning and taking part in island football was massive for me. That proved to be perhaps one of the most important things that led me where I am today.”
When he was just 16, Scott made history as the youngest player in the club’s records when he was introduced as a second-half substitute in their league match at Phoenix Sports.
“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could get him in the side because his talent is obvious,” manager Tony Vance stated back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the way he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Returning to the professional game
Championship side Bristol City – chaired by islander their owner – had been tracking his development after an impressive start in men’s football and arranged a trial in December 2019.
“It was chaos,” recalled the player. “The first day I joined the youth team, the second day I trained with the senior squad, which was a complete shock.
“On the Wednesday I played for his local side in the capital, travelled back and by Friday, I took the field for the youth team and scored a three goals. It was almost a done deal for me to sign a contract.”
Within a year and a half, still well before his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut against Luton.
He went on to make eighty-three league appearances for the club while in his teens, frequently being used as a wide defender – and occasionally in attack as a number 10 – such was his adaptability and flexibility. Even at that young age and not in his natural role he was their best player.
With his ability to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he picked up the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a reference to City and England playmaker Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he claimed the EFL Championship’s best young player award, was chosen in the league’s best XI and was voted the club’s player and young player of the Year.
“Without question, I believe he’ll play for his country and I’m sure he’ll go on to the top of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s boss at Ashton Gate, stated last year.
Within three months later, he signed for Bournemouth for a reported fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his big move
Scott endured a difficult first season with the Cherries, having to wait until the autumn to earn his top-flight debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then being in and out of the starting XI.
His following season was equally affected, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for nearly four months.
“There was quite a good run at the close of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” said Scott.
“It was almost another obstacle and the year was shaping up as quite a terrible start for the first five months.”
But he was then called up by the national team for the Under-21 European Championships – and succeeded in regain fitness for the tournament.
He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six games as they went on to win the competition in the host nation, forming a strong understanding in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has gone on to impress for the senior side with the national coach.
And he has started this season just as strongly for his club, playing in all matches to guide them to fifth in the standings.
“Representing the national team would be one of the proudest moments of my life,” Scott stated earlier this season.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to keep progressing as a footballer, keep enjoying football, getting better every day, and with luck I catch the eye of the England manager and get my chance.”
