Back when Alex Scott made his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 fans in 2019, his manager back then predicted, “we haven’t seen the best from this youngster.”
That statement proved to be a bit of an understatement.
Now 22 years old and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the playmaker has just received his first call-up to the senior Three Lions squad.
His rise from non-league prodigy to possible England player is a true throwback, a story rarely told in the modern era.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was no chance of making it as a professional football player, never mind featuring in the Premier League and representing England too,” Scott stated in a recent interview.
“It’s been a incredible half-dozen years of my life, and things have transformed completely for me and my family.”
But how did Alex Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, end up here?
Developing in non-league
His path in football has been far from a conventional one.
He spent four and a half years in Southampton’s youth system starting at eight, leaving school early every Friday to travel by air from his island home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could train and play for the Saints’ youth teams.
Before he turned 13, however, they decided to let him go. Bournemouth 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 stay on Guernsey and turn out for his local team.
“My form had dipped and traveling every week was becoming a bit too much,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to chill at my home with my friends at the weekend because I missed nearly several years of that experience. Getting that little bit of childhood back was something I definitely required.
“Building some self-belief by coming back and taking part in island football was massive for me. It was probably one of the most important things 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 came on as a second-half replacement in their Isthmian League match at the opposition.
“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could include him in the side because his talent is obvious,” manager the coach commented at the time.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the manner he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Making a comeback to the professional game
Championship side the Robins – owned by islander Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring Scott’s development after an impressive start in men’s football and arranged a trial in late 2019.
“The whole experience was chaos,” said Scott. “Day one I joined the under-18s, the next day I trained with the senior squad, which was a total surprise.
“On the Wednesday I played for his local side in the capital, returned home and on the Friday, I took the field for Bristol City Under-18s and netted a three goals. It was almost a done deal for me to put pen to paper on a deal.”
Within a year and a half, even well before his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut against the Hatters.
Scott made 83 league appearances for the Robins while in his teens, often being deployed as a wing-back – and occasionally further forward as a number 10 – demonstrating his versatility and flexibility. Even at that young age and not in his natural role he was their best player.
With his ability to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and national team attacking midfielder Jack Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the EFL Championship’s best young player honour, was selected in the league’s team of the year and was voted Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.
“Without question, I think he will represent his country and I think he will progress to the top of the game,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s boss at Ashton Gate, stated last year.
Less than three months later, he signed for Bournemouth for a reported fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing 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 injury in the summer, and then being inconsistent of the starting XI.
His following season was equally affected, this time by a knee operation which ruled him out for almost several months.
“There was quite a good run at the close of last season, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained he.
“It was almost another setback and the year was turning out to be a pretty bad year for the first half.”
But he was then called up by England for the Under-21 European Championships – and succeeded in regain fitness for the tournament.
He started five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they went on to win the tournament in Slovakia, developing a strong partnership in midfield with his teammate, who himself has excelled for the first team with the national coach.
And he has started the current campaign equally as strongly for his club, featuring in every game to guide them to fifth in the standings.
“Representing the national team would be among the most special moments of my life,” the player stated earlier this season.
“It’s down to me, I must continue developing as a footballer, maintain my love for the game, improving every day, and with luck I impress the national coach and get my chance.”
