Back when the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 fans in 2019, his coach at the time predicted, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”
This statement turned out to be something of an understatement.
Now aged 22 and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the playmaker has just received his maiden call-up to the full England squad.
His ascent from non-league prodigy to potential England player is a true throwback, a story seldom seen in the modern game.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“Back then, there was no chance of making it as a pro footballer, never mind playing in the Premier League and playing for the national team as well,” the player said in a recent interview.
“It’s been a crazy half-dozen years of my life, and things have transformed completely for me and my family.”
But in what way did Alex Scott, known fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself here?
Learning in the lower tiers
His football journey has not been a conventional one.
He was part of four and a half years in the Saints’ academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early every Friday to travel by air from his island home on Guernsey to the mainland 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 gave Scott an option and he remained with them for a while, but, as he later admitted, his mind was not in it.
Rather, he chose to remain on the island and play for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling every week was starting to feel overwhelming,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to chill at my home with my mates at the weekend because I missed nearly four and a half years of doing that. To have that slice of youth again was a thing I definitely needed.
“Building some confidence by returning and playing local football was huge for me. It was probably one of the most important factors that led me to this point.”
At the age of 16, the teenager made history as the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a second-half replacement in their league fixture at Phoenix Sports.
“I’ve been having trouble sleeping because I was figuring out how I could get him in the side because he’s that good,” Guernsey boss the coach commented at the time.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is exceptional, the manner he runs with the ball, he’s a class act.”
Making a comeback to the professional game
Second-tier club the Robins – chaired by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring Scott’s development after an impressive beginning in men’s football and arranged a try-out in late 2019.
“It was chaos,” recalled the player. “Day one I trained with the under-18s, the second day I trained with the senior squad, which was a complete shock.
“On the Wednesday I featured for Guernsey FC in London, travelled back and by Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and netted a hat-trick. It was almost a certainty for me to put pen to paper on a contract.”
In just 18 months, still well before his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut versus Luton.
He went on to make 83 league appearances for the club while in his teens, frequently being used as a wide defender – and occasionally further forward as a number 10 – demonstrating his versatility and versatility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
Thanks to his skill to drive the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a reference to City and England playmaker Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he claimed the second tier’s best young player honour, was chosen in the league’s team of the year and was voted Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“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, the player’s boss at the club, stated previously.
Within 90 days later, he joined the Cherries for a reported transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing his big move
The midfielder experienced a difficult debut campaign with the Cherries, having to wait until October to make his Premier League debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then finding himself inconsistent of the team.
His second campaign was equally affected, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for almost several months.
“There was a decent run at the close of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained Scott.
“It was almost another setback and the year was turning out to be a pretty bad start for the first half.”
But he was then selected by England for the Under-21 European Championships – and managed to regain fitness in time.
He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six games as they went on to win the tournament in the host nation, developing a formidable understanding in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who himself has gone on to impress for the first team with the national coach.
And he has started the current campaign just as impressively for his club, playing in all matches to guide them to the top five in the table.
“Representing the national team would be among the most special moments of my career,” Scott said earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I must continue developing as a player, keep enjoying the game, improving day on day, and hopefully I impress the England manager and get my chance.”
