Back when Alex Scott made his local team debut against Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his manager at the time assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
This prediction proved to be something of an understatement.
Today aged 22 and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the midfielder has earned his first summons to the senior Three Lions squad.
His ascent from eighth-tier talent to possible England player is a true throwback, a story rarely seen in the modern game.
What’s next? A major tournament?
“Back then, there was zero possibility of becoming a professional football player, let alone playing in the Premier League and representing England as well,” the player stated in a recent interview.
“It’s been a crazy half-dozen years of my life, and things have changed completely for me and my loved ones.”
So how did Scott, referred to affectionately 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 typical one.
He was part of four and a half years in the Saints’ academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early each Friday to fly from his island home on the Channel Island to the south coast so he could attend training and feature for the club’s academy sides.
Prior to he turned 13, though, they decided to let him go. The Cherries gave him an opportunity and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, as he later admitted, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he opted to stay on Guernsey and play for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling every week was starting to feel overwhelming,” he explained.
“I just wanted to chill at home with my friends at the weekend because I had missed almost four and a half years of doing that. To have that slice of youth back was something I definitely needed.
“To gain a bit of confidence by coming back and taking part in local football was huge for me. That proved to be probably one of the most important factors 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 came on as a second-half replacement in their Isthmian 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 he’s that good,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance commented back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is exceptional, the way he runs with the ball, he’s a class act.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Second-tier club Bristol City – owned by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been tracking his development after an promising beginning in adult football and gave him a try-out in December 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” recalled the player. “Day one I trained with the youth team, the second day I trained with the senior squad, which was a total shock.
“On the Wednesday I played for Guernsey FC in London, returned home and by 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.”
In just 18 months, still well before his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut versus the Hatters.
He made eighty-three league appearances for the club while in his teens, often being deployed as a wide defender – and occasionally further forward as a number 10 – demonstrating his versatility and flexibility. Even at that young age and playing out of position he was their best player.
With his ability to carry the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and national team attacking midfielder Jack Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the EFL Championship’s best young player honour, was chosen in the division’s team of the year and was voted Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I believe he’ll play for England and I think he will progress to the top of the sport,” his former manager, the player’s manager at Ashton Gate, stated last year.
Within three months after, he signed for the Cherries for a reported transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his major transfer
The midfielder endured a challenging first season with the Cherries, waiting until October to earn his Premier League debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then being inconsistent 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,” explained Scott.
“It was almost another obstacle and it was shaping up as quite a terrible start for the first five months.”
But he was then called up by England for the U21 Euros – and managed to regain fitness in time.
He started five of the Young Lions’ six games as they claimed victory in the tournament in the host nation, forming a formidable partnership in midfield with his teammate, who in turn has gone on to impress for the senior side under the national coach.
And he has begun the current campaign equally as strongly for Bournemouth, playing in every game 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,” Scott stated recently.
“The responsibility is mine, I must keep progressing as a footballer, maintain my love for football, improving every day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the national coach and get my chance.”
