When the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 spectators in 2019, his manager at the time assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
That statement proved to be a bit of an underestimation.
Now 22 years old and an established top-flight player with Bournemouth, the midfielder has earned his maiden summons to the senior Three Lions team.
His rise from non-league prodigy to possible England player is a true throwback, a journey rarely seen in the modern game.
Next stop? A major tournament?
“In my mind, there was zero possibility of becoming a professional football player, never mind playing in the Premier League and representing England too,” Scott said in a recent interview.
“It has been a crazy half-dozen years of my life, and things have transformed completely for myself and my loved ones.”
So how did Alex Scott, known fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself at this level?
Learning in non-league
Scott’s path in football has been far from a typical one.
He was part of over four years in the Saints’ youth system from the age of eight, leaving school early every Friday to travel by air from his island home on the Channel Island 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. The Cherries gave Scott an opportunity and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he opted to stay on the island and play for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling every week was starting to feel overwhelming,” he explained.
“All I desired to relax at home with my friends at weekends because I missed nearly several years of doing that. Getting that little bit of childhood back was something I definitely needed.
“Building a bit of self-belief by coming back and taking part in local football was massive for me. It was perhaps one of the most important things that got me where I am today.”
When he was just 16, the teenager became the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he came on as a second-half replacement in their Isthmian League match at the opposition.
“I had sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could include him in the team because he’s that good,” Guernsey boss the coach stated at the time.
“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 professional game
Second-tier club Bristol City – owned by islander their owner – had been monitoring Scott’s early progress after an impressive start in men’s football and gave him a try-out in December 2019.
“It was chaos,” recalled the player. “The first day I trained with the under-18s, the second day I trained with the first team, which was a total surprise.
“On the Wednesday I played for his local side in the capital, returned home and on the Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and scored a three goals. From that point a done deal for me to sign a deal.”
In just a year and a half, still well before his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut against Luton.
He went on to make 83 league appearances for the Robins while still a teenager, frequently being used as a wide defender – and sometimes in attack as a attacking midfielder – such was his adaptability and flexibility. Even at that young age and playing out of position he was their best player.
With his ability to carry the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the moniker ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and England attacking midfielder Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the second tier’s best young player honour, was selected in the league’s team of the year and was voted Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“No doubt, I think he’ll play for England and I’m sure he will progress to the pinnacle of the game,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s boss at Ashton Gate, remarked last year.
Within 90 days after, he joined Bournemouth for a understood fee of £25m.
Securing his big move
The midfielder experienced a difficult debut campaign with the club, having to wait until October to earn his top-flight debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then being in and out of the team.
His second campaign was just as disrupted, this time by a surgery which ruled him out for nearly several months.
“I had quite a good run at the end of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” said he.
“It was yet another obstacle and the year was shaping up as quite a terrible start for the first five months.”
But he was then selected by England for the Under-21 European Championships – and succeeded in get himself fit for the tournament.
He started five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they went on to win the tournament in Slovakia, forming a formidable partnership in midfield with his teammate, who in turn has excelled for the first team with the national coach.
And he has begun the current campaign just as strongly for Bournemouth, playing in all matches to guide them to fifth in the standings.
“To play for the national team would be one of the proudest occasions of my career,” Scott said earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to continue developing as a player, maintain my love for the game, getting better day on day, and hopefully I impress the England manager and get my chance.”
