When the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his coach back then predicted, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
This statement turned out to be a bit of an underestimation.
Today aged 22 and an established top-flight player with Bournemouth, the playmaker has just received his maiden call-up to the senior England team.
His ascent from non-league prodigy to potential England player is a proper throwback, a story seldom seen in the modern era.
What’s next? A major tournament?
“Back then, there was zero possibility of making it as a pro footballer, let alone playing in the Premier League and playing for the national team as well,” Scott said previously.
“It’s been a crazy five or six years of my life, and things have transformed completely for me and my loved ones.”
So how did Alex Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up at this level?
Learning in non-league
Scott’s path in football has not been a typical one.
He was part of four and a half years in Southampton’s academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early each Friday to travel by air from his home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could train and feature for the club’s academy sides.
Prior to he turned 13, though, they released him. The Cherries were willing to offer him an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a time, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he chose to remain on the island and turn out for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and flying over weekly was becoming a bit too much,” he recalled.
“All I desired to relax at my home with my friends at weekends because I missed almost several years of doing that. To have that little bit of youth back was a thing I definitely needed.
“Building a bit of confidence by coming back and taking part in local football was huge for me. It was perhaps the most crucial things that got me to this point.”
When he was just 16, the teenager became the youngest player in the club’s records when he was introduced as a 57th-minute substitute in their league match at the opposition.
“I had sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could include him in the team 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 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 islander Steve Lansdown – had been tracking Scott’s early progress after an impressive start in men’s football and arranged a try-out in late 2019.
“It was hectic,” said Scott. “The first day I joined the youth team, the next day I was with the first team, which was a complete surprise.
“On the Wednesday I featured for his local side in London, returned home and on the Friday, I played for the youth team and scored a hat-trick. It was almost a certainty for me to sign a deal.”
Within a year and a half, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his first-team debut versus Luton.
He made eighty-three league outings for the Robins while still a teenager, frequently being deployed as a wide defender – and sometimes in attack as a attacking midfielder – demonstrating his adaptability and versatility. Despite his youth and playing out of position 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 picked up the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and national team attacking midfielder Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the second tier’s young player of the season honour, was selected in the league’s team of the year and was named Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.
“No doubt, I believe he will represent his country and I’m sure he will progress to the top of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s manager at Ashton Gate, remarked last year.
Within three months later, he joined Bournemouth for a understood transfer fee of £25m.
Getting his big move
Scott experienced a difficult debut campaign with the Cherries, having to wait until October to earn his top-flight debut after a knee problem in the summer, and then finding himself inconsistent of the team.
His following season was equally affected, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for nearly four months.
“I had a decent run at the close of last season, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” said he.
“It was yet another setback and it was shaping up as a pretty bad start for the first half.”
But he was then selected by England for the U21 Euros – and managed to get himself fit for the tournament.
He started five of the England U21s’ six matches as they claimed victory in the competition in the host nation, forming a strong understanding in the middle with his teammate, who himself has gone on to impress for the senior side with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started the current campaign equally as strongly for his club, featuring in all matches to guide them to fifth in the table.
“To play for the England senior team would be one of the proudest moments of my career,” Scott stated recently.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to keep progressing as a footballer, keep enjoying the game, getting better day on day, and with luck I impress the England manager and earn an opportunity.”
