Back when Alex Scott made his local team debut against Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 spectators in 2019, his coach at the time predicted, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
That prediction turned out to be something of an understatement.
Now 22 years old and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the playmaker has just received his maiden summons to the senior Three Lions squad.
His ascent from non-league prodigy to potential England player is a true throwback, a journey seldom seen in the modern era.
Next stop? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was no chance of becoming a pro footballer, never mind playing in the Premier League and representing England as well,” the player said in a recent interview.
“It has been a crazy five or six years of my life, and things have changed drastically for myself and my loved ones.”
But in what way did Alex Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself at this level?
Learning in non-league
Scott’s path in football has not been a typical one.
He was part of over four years in Southampton’s academy setup from the age of eight, leaving school early every Friday to fly from his home on the Channel Island to the south coast so he could attend training and play for the club’s academy sides.
Before he turned 13, however, they released him. The Cherries were willing to offer Scott an opportunity and he remained with them for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart wasn’t fully committed.
Instead, he chose to stay on the island and play for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and traveling every week was becoming a bit too much,” he recalled.
“All I desired to chill at my home with my mates at weekends because I had missed almost four and a half years of doing that. To have that little bit of childhood again was a thing I definitely needed.
“Building some self-belief by coming back and playing local football was massive for me. It was perhaps one of the most important things that led me where I am today.”
At the age of 16, Scott became the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a 57th-minute substitute in their Isthmian League match at Phoenix Sports.
“I’ve been having trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could include him in the side because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance stated back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the manner he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Championship side Bristol City – chaired by Guernsey resident their owner – had been tracking Scott’s early progress after an impressive start in men’s football and gave him a trial in December 2019.
“It was hectic,” recalled the player. “The first day I joined the youth team, the next day I was with the first team, which was a total surprise.
“Midweek I played for Guernsey FC in the capital, returned home and on the Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and netted a three goals. From that point a certainty for me to sign a contract.”
In just a year and a half, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his first-team debut against the Hatters.
Scott made eighty-three league appearances for the Robins while in his teens, frequently being deployed as a wing-back – and occasionally in attack 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 carry the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to City and England attacking midfielder Jack Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the second tier’s young player of the season award, was selected in the division’s best XI and was voted the club’s top player and top youngster.
“No doubt, I believe he’ll play for his country and I’m sure he’ll go on to the top of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s manager at the club, stated previously.
Within three months later, he joined the Cherries for a reported transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his big move
The midfielder endured a challenging first season with the Cherries, having to wait until the autumn to earn his Premier League debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then finding himself inconsistent of the starting XI.
His following season was equally disrupted, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for almost several months.
“There was quite a good run at the close of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained he.
“It was almost another obstacle and the year was turning out to be a pretty bad start for the first half.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the U21 Euros – and managed to regain fitness in time.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they claimed victory in the tournament in the host nation, developing a formidable understanding in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has excelled for the senior side with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started the current campaign just as strongly for Bournemouth, featuring in every game to help them to the top five in the standings.
“To play for the national team would be one of the proudest occasions of my life,” the player stated earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to keep progressing as a footballer, keep enjoying the game, improving day on day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the England manager and get my chance.”
