When the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his coach at the time predicted, “there’s more to come from this youngster.”
That prediction proved to be a bit of an underestimation.
Today aged 22 and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the playmaker has just received his first summons to the senior England team.
His ascent from eighth-tier talent to possible England player is a true blast from the past, a journey rarely seen in the modern era.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was zero possibility of becoming a pro footballer, never mind featuring in the Premier League and playing for the national team as well,” the player stated previously.
“It has been a crazy half-dozen years of my life, and things have changed completely for me and my family.”
But how did Alex Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, end up at this level?
Developing in the lower tiers
His football journey has not been a conventional one.
He spent over four years in Southampton’s academy setup from the age of eight, skipping school every Friday to fly from his island home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could attend training and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.
Before he turned 13, though, they decided to let him go. Bournemouth were willing to offer Scott an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a time, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he chose to stay on Guernsey and turn out for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over weekly was becoming overwhelming,” he recalled.
“All I desired to chill at my home with my mates at weekends because I had missed nearly several years of doing that. Getting that little bit of childhood back was something I definitely needed.
“Building a bit of confidence by returning and taking part in island football was massive for me. It was perhaps the most crucial things that got me to this point.”
At the age of 16, Scott became the most youthful appearance-maker in the club’s records when he came on as a 57th-minute substitute in their Isthmian League match at the opposition.
“I had sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the side because he’s that good,” manager the coach stated at the time.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is exceptional, the way he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Making a comeback to the pro ranks
Championship side the Robins – owned by islander Steve Lansdown – had been tracking his development after an promising start in adult football and arranged a trial in late 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” said Scott. “Day one I trained with the under-18s, the second day I was with the first team, which was a complete surprise.
“On the Wednesday I featured for his local side in the capital, returned home and by Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and scored a hat-trick. From that point a certainty for me to put pen to paper on a deal.”
Within 18 months, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut against the Hatters.
He made 83 league outings for the club while still a teenager, often being used as a wing-back – and sometimes in attack as a number 10 – such was his adaptability and versatility. Despite his youth and playing out of position he was the standout performer.
Thanks to his ability to drive the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he picked up the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to City and England attacking midfielder Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the second tier’s young player of the season award, was selected in the league’s team of the year and was named the club’s player and young player of the Year.
“No doubt, I believe he will represent his country and I think he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the sport,” his former manager, Scott’s manager at the club, stated previously.
Less than three months later, he joined the Cherries for a reported transfer fee of £25m.
Getting his big move
The midfielder endured a difficult first season with the club, waiting until October to make his Premier League debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then finding himself inconsistent of the team.
His following season was equally disrupted, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for almost four months.
“There was a decent run at the end of last season, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained he.
“It was yet another obstacle and it was turning out to be a pretty bad year for the first five months.”
But he was then called up by England for the U21 Euros – and managed to get himself fit for the tournament.
He started five of the Young Lions’ six games as they went on to win the tournament in the host nation, developing a formidable partnership in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has excelled for the senior side under the national coach.
And he has begun the current campaign equally as impressively for Bournemouth, playing in all matches to help them to fifth in the table.
“To play for the England senior team would be among the most special moments of my life,” Scott stated earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to keep progressing as a footballer, keep enjoying the game, getting better every day, and with luck I impress the England manager and get my chance.”
