Back when the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 fans in 2019, his coach at the time assured, “there’s more to come from this youngster.”
That statement turned out to be a bit of an underestimation.
Now 22 years old and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the midfielder has earned his first call-up to the senior England squad.
His rise from eighth-tier talent to possible international star is a proper throwback, a journey rarely seen in the modern game.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“Back then, there was no chance of becoming a professional football player, never mind playing in the top division and playing for England as well,” Scott said previously.
“It’s been a crazy five or six years of my life, and circumstances have transformed completely for myself and my family.”
But how did Alex Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself here?
Learning in the lower tiers
Scott’s football journey has not been a conventional one.
He spent over four years in the Saints’ academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early every Friday to fly from his home on the Channel Island to the south coast so he could train and play for the Saints’ youth teams.
Prior to he turned 13, though, they released him. Bournemouth were willing to offer Scott an opportunity and he remained with them for a time, but, as he later admitted, his heart wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he chose to stay on Guernsey and play for his hometown club.
“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling weekly was starting to feel overwhelming,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to chill at home with my friends at weekends because I missed nearly four and a half years of doing that. Getting that slice of childhood back was something I definitely required.
“Building a bit of self-belief by returning and playing island football was huge for me. That proved to be probably one of the most important factors that got me to this point.”
At the age of 16, Scott made history as the youngest player in the club’s records when he came on as a second-half substitute in their Isthmian 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 he’s that good,” manager Tony Vance commented at the time.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the way he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Championship side Bristol City – chaired by islander Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring his development after an promising beginning in men’s football and arranged a trial in late 2019.
“The whole experience was chaos,” said the player. “Day one I trained with the under-18s, the next day I trained with the senior squad, which was a total shock.
“Midweek I featured for his local side in the capital, travelled back and by Friday, I took the field for Bristol City Under-18s and netted a three goals. From that point a done deal for me to sign a deal.”
Within 18 months, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut versus the Hatters.
Scott went on to make eighty-three league outings for the Robins while in his teens, frequently being used as a wide defender – and occasionally further forward as a attacking midfielder – such was his versatility and flexibility. Even at that young age and playing out of position he was the standout performer.
With his skill to drive the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and England attacking midfielder Jack Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 season he claimed the second tier’s best young player award, was chosen in the league’s team of the year and was named the club’s player and young player of the Year.
“No doubt, I think he’ll play for England and I think he will progress to the pinnacle of the sport,” his former manager, the player’s manager at the club, stated previously.
Within 90 days after, he signed for the Cherries for a reported transfer fee of £25m.
Getting his big move
Scott endured a difficult first season with the club, waiting until October to make his top-flight debut after a knee problem in the summer, and then being inconsistent of the starting XI.
His second campaign was just as disrupted, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for nearly four months.
“I had a decent run at the end of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained Scott.
“That felt like yet another obstacle and it was turning out to be quite a terrible year for the first half.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the U21 Euros – and managed to get himself fit for the tournament.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they went on to win the competition in Slovakia, forming a strong partnership in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who himself has gone on to impress for the senior side under Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started this season just as strongly for Bournemouth, playing in all matches to guide them to fifth in the standings.
“Representing the England senior team would be among the most special moments of my life,” the player stated recently.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to keep progressing as a footballer, maintain my love for the game, getting better day on day, and with luck I catch the eye of the national coach and get my chance.”
