When the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 fans in 2019, his manager back then assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
This statement proved to be a bit of an understatement.
Today aged 22 and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the playmaker has just received his maiden summons to the senior Three Lions squad.
His rise from non-league prodigy to potential England player is a true throwback, a story seldom seen in the modern game.
Next stop? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was no chance of becoming a pro footballer, let alone featuring in the Premier League and representing England too,” Scott stated in a recent interview.
“It has been a crazy five or six years of my life, and circumstances have changed completely for me and my family.”
So in what way did Alex Scott, known affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself at this level?
Developing in the lower tiers
Scott’s path in football has not been a typical one.
He was part of over four years in the Saints’ youth system starting at eight, skipping school every Friday to fly from his home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could attend training and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.
Before he turned 13, though, they released him. Bournemouth gave him an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a time, but, as he later admitted, his mind was not in it.
Rather, he opted to stay on the island and play for his local team.
“My form had dipped and flying over weekly was starting to feel a bit too much,” he explained.
“All I desired to relax at home with my friends at weekends because I missed nearly four and a half years of doing that. To have that slice of youth again was something I definitely needed.
“Building some self-belief by coming back and taking part in local football was massive for me. That proved to be probably the most crucial things that led me where I am today.”
When he was just 16, the teenager made history as the youngest player in the club’s records when he came on as a 57th-minute replacement in their Isthmian League match at Phoenix Sports.
“I’ve been having trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could include him in the side because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance stated at the time.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is exceptional, the manner he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”
Making a comeback to the professional game
Second-tier club the Robins – owned by Guernsey resident their owner – had been tracking Scott’s development after an impressive beginning in adult football and arranged a trial in December 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” said the player. “Day one I joined the under-18s, the second day I was with the first team, which was a complete surprise.
“On the Wednesday I played for his local side in London, returned home and on the Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and scored a hat-trick. It was almost a done deal for me to sign a deal.”
In just a year and a half, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his first-team debut versus Luton.
He made 83 league outings for the Robins while in his teens, often being deployed as a wing-back – and sometimes further forward as a number 10 – such was his versatility and flexibility. Despite his youth and playing out of position he was their best player.
With his skill to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he picked up the moniker ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and England playmaker Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he claimed the EFL Championship’s young player of the season honour, was chosen in the division’s best XI and was voted the club’s player and young player of the Year.
“No doubt, I believe he will represent England and I’m sure he will progress to the pinnacle of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s boss at Ashton Gate, stated previously.
Within three months later, he signed for Bournemouth for a reported transfer fee of £25m.
Securing his big move
Scott experienced a difficult first season with the club, having to wait until the autumn to earn his top-flight debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then being in and out of the starting XI.
His second campaign was equally affected, this time by a knee operation which ruled him out for nearly several months.
“I had a decent run at the close of last season, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” said he.
“It was yet another obstacle and it was turning out to be quite a terrible start for the first five months.”
But he was then called up by England for the U21 Euros – and succeeded in regain fitness for the tournament.
He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six games as they claimed victory in the competition in Slovakia, developing a strong understanding in midfield with his teammate, who in turn has excelled for the senior side with the national coach.
And he has begun this season just as impressively for Bournemouth, playing in every game to help them to fifth in the table.
“To play for the national team would be among the most special occasions of my life,” Scott stated recently.
“The responsibility is mine, I must continue developing as a player, maintain my love for the game, improving every day, and with luck I catch the eye of the England manager and earn an opportunity.”
