Back when the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 fans in 2019, his coach at the time assured, “there’s more to come from this youngster.”
That statement turned out to be a bit of an understatement.
Today aged 22 and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the midfielder has earned his first summons to the senior Three Lions squad.
His rise from eighth-tier talent to possible England player is a proper blast from the past, a story rarely told in the modern era.
Next stop? A major tournament?
“Back then, there was zero possibility of making it as a pro footballer, never mind playing in the Premier League and playing for England too,” Scott stated in a recent interview.
“It has been a incredible five or six years of my life, and circumstances have changed drastically for me and my loved ones.”
So in what way did Alex Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, end up at this level?
Learning in non-league
His football journey has been far from a typical one.
He spent 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 the Channel Island to the mainland so he could attend training and feature for the club’s academy sides.
Before he turned 13, however, they decided to let him go. The Cherries were willing to offer Scott an opportunity and he remained with them for a time, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he opted to remain on the island and turn out for his hometown club.
“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling every week was starting to feel overwhelming,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to chill at home with my mates at weekends because I missed almost several years of doing that. Getting that slice of childhood back was something I really required.
“Building some self-belief by returning and playing island football was huge for me. That proved to be probably the most crucial things that got me to this point.”
When he was just 16, Scott made history as the most youthful appearance-maker in Guernsey’s history when he came on as a 57th-minute substitute in their Isthmian League fixture at Phoenix Sports.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was figuring out how I could get him in the side because his talent is obvious,” manager the coach stated back then.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the manner he runs with the ball, he’s a class act.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Second-tier club Bristol City – owned by islander their owner – had been monitoring Scott’s development after an promising start in adult football and arranged a try-out in late 2019.
“It was hectic,” recalled the player. “The first day I joined the under-18s, the second day I trained with the first team, which was a complete surprise.
“On the Wednesday I played for his local side in the capital, travelled back and on the Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and netted a three goals. It was almost a certainty for me to put pen to paper on a deal.”
In just 18 months, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut versus the Hatters.
Scott made eighty-three league outings for the club while still a teenager, frequently being used as a wing-back – and sometimes further forward as a attacking midfielder – such was his adaptability and versatility. 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 rolled down to his ankles, he earned the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to City and England playmaker Jack Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 season he claimed the EFL Championship’s young player of the season honour, was selected in the division’s best XI and was named the club’s top player and top youngster.
“No doubt, I believe he will represent his country and I’m sure he will progress to the pinnacle of the sport,” his former manager, Scott’s manager at Ashton Gate, stated previously.
Less than 90 days later, he joined Bournemouth for a reported fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing his major transfer
Scott endured a difficult debut campaign with the club, waiting until the autumn to earn his Premier League debut after a knee problem in the summer, and then being inconsistent of the starting XI.
His second campaign was equally disrupted, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for almost several months.
“There was quite a good run at the end of last season, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained Scott.
“That felt like almost another setback and it was turning out to be quite a terrible start for the first five months.”
But he was then called up by the national team for the U21 Euros – and managed to regain fitness in time.
He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six matches as they went on to win the competition in Slovakia, forming a formidable partnership in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has excelled for the first team under the national coach.
And he has started this season equally as impressively for Bournemouth, playing in every game to guide them to fifth in the standings.
“Representing the England senior team would be one of the proudest moments of my career,” Scott stated earlier this season.
“It’s down to me, I must keep progressing as a player, maintain my love for the game, getting better day on day, and with luck I impress the England manager and get my chance.”
