When the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 fans in 2019, his manager at the time predicted, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
This statement proved to be something of an underestimation.
Today 22 years old and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the midfielder has earned his first summons to the full Three Lions squad.
His rise from non-league prodigy to potential international star is a true throwback, a story seldom seen in the modern era.
Next stop? The World Cup?
“Back then, there was zero possibility of becoming a professional football player, let alone playing in the top division and playing for England as well,” Scott said in a recent interview.
“It’s been a incredible five or six years of my life, and things have changed drastically for me and my loved ones.”
So in what way did Alex Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up at this level?
Learning in the lower tiers
His football journey has been far from a conventional one.
He spent four and a half years in the Saints’ youth system starting at eight, leaving school early every Friday to fly from his island home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could attend training and play for the club’s academy sides.
Prior to he turned 13, though, they released him. Bournemouth were willing to offer Scott an option and he remained with them for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind was not in it.
Rather, he chose to stay on Guernsey and play for his hometown club.
“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over every week was becoming a bit too much,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to relax at my home with my friends at weekends because I missed nearly several years of that experience. To have that little bit of childhood again was something I definitely needed.
“To gain a bit of self-belief by returning and taking part in island football was huge for me. That proved to be probably the most crucial things that led me where I am today.”
At the age of 16, the teenager became the most youthful appearance-maker in the club’s records when he was introduced as a second-half substitute in their league match at Phoenix Sports.
“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 back then.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is exceptional, the manner he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Returning to the professional game
Second-tier club Bristol City – owned by Guernsey resident their owner – had been monitoring his development after an promising beginning in men’s football and gave him a try-out in late 2019.
“It was hectic,” said the player. “The first day I trained with the under-18s, the second day I was with the senior squad, which was a total surprise.
“Midweek I featured for his local side in the capital, returned home and on the Friday, I played for the youth team and scored a three goals. From that point a done deal for me to sign a contract.”
In just a year and a half, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut against the Hatters.
Scott went on to make eighty-three league appearances for the Robins while in his teens, frequently being deployed as a wide defender – and occasionally in attack as a number 10 – such was his adaptability and versatility. Even at that young age and not in his natural role he was their best player.
With his skill 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 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 chosen in the league’s team of the year and was named the club’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I think he’ll play for his country and I think he will progress to the pinnacle of the sport,” his former manager, the player’s manager at Ashton Gate, remarked previously.
Within 90 days after, he signed for Bournemouth for a reported transfer fee of £25m.
Getting his major transfer
The midfielder experienced a challenging debut campaign with the club, waiting until the autumn to earn his top-flight debut after a knee problem 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 four months.
“There was a decent run at the close of last season, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained he.
“That felt like yet another setback and it was shaping up as a pretty bad year for the first five months.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the Under-21 European Championships – and succeeded in regain fitness for the tournament.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they claimed victory in the competition in the host nation, forming a strong partnership in the middle with Elliot Anderson, 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 his club, featuring in every game to help them to the top five in the standings.
“To play for the England senior team would be one of the proudest occasions of my life,” Scott said earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I must keep progressing as a footballer, maintain my love for football, getting better day on day, and with luck I impress the England manager and get my chance.”
