When the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 fans in 2019, his coach back then assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
This statement proved to be something of an understatement.
Now aged 22 and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the midfielder has just received his first call-up to the full England team.
His rise from eighth-tier talent to possible England player is a true blast from the past, a journey rarely told in the modern era.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“Back then, there was no chance of making it as a pro footballer, let alone playing in the Premier League and representing the national team as well,” Scott said in a recent interview.
“It has been a incredible five or six years of my life, and circumstances have changed completely for myself and my loved ones.”
But how did Alex Scott, known fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself here?
Learning in non-league
His football journey has not been a conventional one.
He spent four and a half years in Southampton’s academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early every Friday to travel by air from his island home on the Channel Island to the south coast so he could train and play for the club’s academy sides.
Before his 13th birthday, however, they released him. The Cherries gave him an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart was not in it.
Rather, he chose to remain on the island and play for his hometown club.
“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling every week was becoming overwhelming,” he explained.
“I just wanted to chill at 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 really required.
“To gain some confidence by returning and playing local football was huge for me. It was probably the most crucial factors that led me where I am today.”
At the age of 16, Scott made history as the most youthful appearance-maker in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a second-half replacement in their league match at the opposition.
“I had sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could include him in the side because his talent is obvious,” manager the coach commented back then.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the manner he runs with the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Making a comeback to the professional game
Championship side the Robins – owned by Guernsey resident their owner – had been tracking Scott’s development after an promising beginning in adult football and gave him a try-out in late 2019.
“The whole experience was chaos,” said the player. “Day one I joined the under-18s, the next day I trained with the senior squad, which was a complete shock.
“Midweek I played for Guernsey FC in London, returned home and by Friday, I took the field for Bristol City Under-18s and scored a three goals. It was almost a done deal for me to put pen to paper on a contract.”
Within a year and a half, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his first-team debut against the Hatters.
He went on to make eighty-three league outings for the Robins while still a teenager, frequently being used as a wing-back – and sometimes in attack as a attacking midfielder – such was his versatility and versatility. Despite his youth 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 down to his ankles, he picked up the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and England playmaker Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 season he claimed the EFL Championship’s best young player honour, was selected in the division’s best XI and was voted Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.
“Without question, I believe he will represent his country and I’m sure he will progress to the pinnacle of the game,” his former manager, the player’s boss at the club, stated previously.
Within three months later, he joined the Cherries for a understood fee of £25m.
Getting his big move
Scott endured a challenging first season with the club, waiting until October to make his Premier League debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then finding himself in and out of the team.
His second campaign was equally affected, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for nearly four months.
“There was quite a good run at the end of last season, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained Scott.
“It was yet another obstacle and the year was shaping up as a pretty bad year for the first five months.”
But he was then selected by England for the U21 Euros – and succeeded in get himself fit in time.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they claimed victory in the tournament in Slovakia, developing a strong understanding in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who himself has excelled for the first team under the national coach.
And he has begun the current campaign just as strongly for Bournemouth, playing in every game to guide them to the top five in the table.
“Representing the England senior team would be one of the proudest occasions of my life,” Scott stated earlier this season.
“It’s down to me, I must keep progressing as a footballer, keep enjoying the game, improving every day, and with luck I impress the England manager and get my chance.”
