When Alex Scott stepped onto the pitch for his local team debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 fans in 2019, his coach at the time assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this youngster.”
This prediction proved 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 maiden summons to the full Three Lions squad.
His rise from eighth-tier talent to potential England player is a true throwback, a story seldom seen in the modern era.
Next stop? A major tournament?
“Back then, there was zero possibility of becoming a pro footballer, let alone playing in the Premier League and playing for the national team as well,” Scott stated previously.
“It’s been a crazy half-dozen years of my life, and circumstances have transformed drastically for myself and my family.”
So in what way did Alex Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up here?
Developing in the lower tiers
His path in football has been far from a typical one.
He was part of four and a half years in the Saints’ youth system starting at eight, skipping school each Friday to fly from his home on the Channel Island to the south coast so he could train and play for the club’s academy sides.
Prior to his 13th birthday, however, they decided to let him go. Bournemouth were willing to offer him an opportunity and he was on the Cherries’ books 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 every week was becoming overwhelming,” he recalled.
“All I desired to relax at my home with my mates at the weekend because I missed almost four and a half years of that experience. Getting that slice of youth again was something I really required.
“To gain some confidence by returning and taking part in island football was huge for me. That proved to be probably the most crucial factors that got me to this point.”
When he was just 16, Scott became the youngest player in the club’s records when he came on as a 57th-minute replacement in their league fixture at Phoenix Sports.
“I had sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could include him in the side because he’s that good,” Guernsey boss the coach commented at the time.
“People have witnessed that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the way he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”
Making a comeback to the pro ranks
Second-tier club Bristol City – chaired by islander their owner – had been tracking Scott’s development after an promising beginning in men’s football and arranged a try-out in December 2019.
“It was hectic,” recalled the player. “The first day I trained with the under-18s, the second day I trained with the first team, which was a total surprise.
“On the Wednesday I played for Guernsey FC in London, returned home and on the Friday, I took the field for the youth team and scored a three goals. From that point a done deal for me to sign a contract.”
Within a year and a half, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his first-team debut against Luton.
He made eighty-three league outings for the Robins while still a teenager, often being deployed as a wing-back – and occasionally further forward as a attacking midfielder – demonstrating his adaptability and versatility. Even at that young age and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
With his skill to drive the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the moniker ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and England playmaker Jack Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the EFL Championship’s young player of the season honour, was selected in the division’s team of the year and was named Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I believe he will represent his country and I’m sure he will progress to the pinnacle of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s manager at Ashton Gate, stated previously.
Within 90 days after, he signed for the Cherries for a understood transfer fee of £25m.
Securing his major transfer
The midfielder experienced a challenging debut campaign with the Cherries, waiting until October to earn his top-flight debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then being inconsistent of the team.
His following season was equally disrupted, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for nearly four months.
“There was a decent run at the close of last season, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” said he.
“That felt like almost another setback and the year was turning out to be quite a terrible start for the first five months.”
But he was then selected by England 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 matches as they went on to win the competition in the host nation, developing a formidable understanding in the middle with his teammate, who himself has gone on to impress for the senior side with the national coach.
And he has begun this season just as impressively for Bournemouth, playing in every game to guide them to the top five in the standings.
“Representing the England senior team would be one of the proudest moments of my life,” the player stated recently.
“It’s down to me, I must keep progressing as a player, keep enjoying football, improving day on day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the national coach and earn an opportunity.”
