When the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his coach at the time assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”
That prediction proved to be a bit of an understatement.
Today 22 years old and an established top-flight player with Bournemouth, the midfielder has just received his maiden call-up to the senior Three Lions team.
His rise from non-league prodigy to possible international star is a true throwback, a journey seldom told in the modern game.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was no chance of making it as a pro footballer, let alone featuring in the top division and playing for the national team too,” the player said in a recent interview.
“It has been a incredible five or six years of my life, and circumstances have transformed completely for me and my family.”
But in what way did Alex Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up here?
Learning in the lower tiers
Scott’s path in football has not been a conventional one.
He was part of over four years in the Saints’ academy setup starting at eight, skipping school each Friday to travel by air from his island home on the Channel Island to the mainland so he could attend training and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.
Prior to he turned 13, though, they released him. The Cherries were willing to offer Scott an opportunity and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, 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 every week was becoming a bit too much,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to relax at my home with my friends at weekends because I missed almost several years of doing that. Getting that little bit of childhood back was something I definitely required.
“To gain some confidence by coming back and playing local football was massive for me. That proved to be probably the most crucial things that got me where I am today.”
At the age of 16, the teenager became the youngest player in the club’s records when he was introduced as a 57th-minute substitute in their league fixture at the opposition.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the team because his talent is obvious,” manager the coach stated back then.
“People have witnessed that – his possession of the ball is exceptional, the manner he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Returning to the professional game
Championship side Bristol City – owned by Guernsey resident their owner – had been monitoring his development after an promising start in adult football and gave him a try-out in late 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” said Scott. “The first day I joined the under-18s, the second day I was with the senior squad, which was a total surprise.
“Midweek I played for Guernsey FC in London, returned home and by Friday, I played for the youth team and scored a hat-trick. It was almost a certainty for me to sign a contract.”
Within 18 months, even well before his 18th birthday, he was earning his first-team debut versus Luton.
He went on to make eighty-three league outings for the club while in his teens, frequently being deployed as a wing-back – and sometimes in attack as a number 10 – demonstrating his versatility and versatility. Even at that young age and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
Thanks to his skill to drive the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the moniker ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and national team attacking midfielder Jack Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he claimed the second tier’s young player of the season award, was selected in the division’s team of the year and was named Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I think he will represent his country and I think he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the game,” his former manager, Scott’s boss at the club, remarked previously.
Less than three months later, he joined Bournemouth for a reported fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his big move
The midfielder endured a difficult debut campaign with the club, waiting until the autumn to earn his top-flight debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then being inconsistent of the team.
His second campaign 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,” explained he.
“It was yet another setback and the year was shaping up as a pretty bad year for the first five months.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the U21 Euros – and succeeded in get himself fit for the tournament.
He started five of the Young Lions’ six games as they went on to win the competition in the host nation, developing a strong partnership in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has gone on to impress for the first team under the national coach.
And he has begun the current campaign just as strongly for his club, featuring in all matches to help them to the top five in the standings.
“Representing the England senior team would be among the most special occasions of my life,” Scott said recently.
“It’s down to me, I must continue developing as a player, keep enjoying football, improving every day, and with luck I impress the England manager and get my chance.”
