Back when the young midfielder made his local team debut against Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 fans in 2019, his manager at the time assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this youngster.”
That prediction turned out to be something of an understatement.
Now 22 years old and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the playmaker has earned his maiden summons to the full England squad.
His rise from eighth-tier talent to potential international star is a proper throwback, a story rarely told in the modern era.
Next stop? A major tournament?
“Back then, there was no chance of becoming a professional football player, let alone featuring in the Premier League and playing for the national team too,” Scott stated in a recent interview.
“It’s been a incredible five or six years of my life, and circumstances have transformed completely for me and my family.”
So how did Alex Scott, known fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up here?
Learning in the lower tiers
Scott’s path in football has been far from a typical one.
He was part of four and a half years in Southampton’s academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early every Friday to travel by air from his home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could train and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.
Before his 13th birthday, however, they decided to let him go. The Cherries gave him an option and he remained with them for a time, but, as he later admitted, his heart was not in it.
Rather, he chose to remain on the island and play for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling weekly was becoming overwhelming,” he recalled.
“All I desired to chill at home with my friends at weekends because I had missed almost several years of doing that. Getting that little bit of youth again was something I definitely required.
“To gain some self-belief by returning and taking part in local football was huge for me. It was perhaps one of the most important factors that got me to this point.”
When he was just 16, Scott became the most youthful appearance-maker in the club’s records when he was introduced as a second-half substitute in their league fixture at the opposition.
“I’ve been having trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the team because his talent is obvious,” manager Tony Vance stated back then.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the way he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”
Making a comeback to the pro ranks
Championship side the Robins – owned by islander Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring Scott’s development after an impressive beginning in men’s football and gave him a trial in December 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” said the player. “Day one I joined the under-18s, the second day I trained with the first team, which was a total shock.
“On the Wednesday I played for Guernsey FC in the capital, returned home and by Friday, I took the field for Bristol City Under-18s and netted a three goals. From that point a certainty for me to put pen to paper on a contract.”
Within 18 months, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut versus Luton.
He made 83 league appearances for the Robins while in his teens, frequently being used as a wide defender – and sometimes further forward as a attacking midfielder – such was his adaptability and flexibility. Even at that young age and not in his natural role he was their best player.
With his skill to carry the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and England playmaker Jack Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the second tier’s young player of the season award, was chosen in the division’s best XI and was voted Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I believe he will represent his country and I’m sure he will progress to the pinnacle of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s manager at Ashton Gate, stated previously.
Within 90 days after, he joined Bournemouth for a understood fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his big move
Scott endured a challenging debut campaign with the Cherries, waiting until the autumn to earn his top-flight debut after a knee problem in the summer, and then being in and out of the team.
His following season was equally affected, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for almost four months.
“I had a decent run at the close of the previous campaign, which was good to have, then I fractured my jaw,” said Scott.
“It was almost another obstacle 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 managed to get himself fit for the tournament.
He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six matches as they claimed victory in the tournament in Slovakia, developing a strong partnership in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has excelled for the senior side under the national coach.
And he has begun this season equally as strongly for Bournemouth, featuring in all matches to guide them to fifth in the standings.
“Representing the national team would be among the most special occasions of my career,” Scott said earlier this season.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to continue developing as a player, keep enjoying football, getting better every day, and with luck I impress the England manager and get my chance.”
