Back when Alex Scott made his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 fans in 2019, his manager back then assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”
That statement proved to be a bit of an understatement.
Now 22 years old and an established top-flight player with Bournemouth, the midfielder has earned his first summons to the full England squad.
His rise from non-league prodigy to potential England player is a true throwback, a journey rarely seen in the modern era.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was no chance of becoming a pro footballer, never mind featuring in the top division and representing England too,” the player stated in a recent interview.
“It has been a crazy half-dozen years of my life, and things have transformed completely for me and my family.”
So how did Alex Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, end up here?
Learning in non-league
His football journey has not been a conventional one.
He was part of four and a half years in the Saints’ youth system from the age of eight, skipping school each Friday to fly from his home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could train and feature for the club’s academy sides.
Prior to he turned 13, though, they decided to let him go. Bournemouth were willing to offer him an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he opted to stay on the island and play for his hometown club.
“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling every week was starting to feel a bit too much,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to relax at my home with my mates at weekends because I missed nearly four and a half years of that experience. To have that little bit of childhood again was a thing I definitely required.
“To gain a bit of self-belief by returning and taking part in island football was massive for me. That proved to be perhaps one of the most important factors that led me to this point.”
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 match at Phoenix Sports.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the side because he’s that good,” manager Tony Vance commented at the time.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is exceptional, the manner he runs with the ball, he’s a class act.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Championship side Bristol City – owned by islander Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring Scott’s early progress after an impressive start in men’s football and gave him a trial in December 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” recalled Scott. “The first day I joined the youth team, the second day I was with the senior squad, which was a total surprise.
“Midweek I played for Guernsey FC in London, travelled back and by Friday, I played for the youth team and scored a three goals. It was almost a done deal for me to sign a deal.”
In just a year and a half, even well before his 18th birthday, he was earning his first-team debut against Luton.
He went on to make 83 league outings for the club while still a teenager, frequently being used as a wide defender – and occasionally further forward as a number 10 – such was his versatility and flexibility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
With his ability to carry the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and England attacking midfielder Jack Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he won the EFL Championship’s young player of the season honour, was chosen in the division’s team of the year and was voted Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.
“Without question, I believe he will represent his country and I’m sure he’ll go on to the top of the game,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s boss at the club, remarked last year.
Less than three months later, he signed for Bournemouth for a reported transfer fee of £25m.
Securing his big move
Scott endured a challenging first season with the Cherries, having to wait until October to make his Premier League debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then finding himself inconsistent of the starting XI.
His second campaign was just as disrupted, this time by a surgery which ruled him out for almost several months.
“I had a decent run at the close of last season, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained Scott.
“It was yet another obstacle and the year was turning out to be a pretty bad year for the first half.”
But he was then called up 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 claimed victory in the tournament in Slovakia, forming a formidable understanding in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has excelled for the senior side under Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started the current campaign just as impressively for his club, playing in every game to help them to fifth in the table.
“Representing the national team would be one of the proudest moments of my career,” the player stated recently.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to keep progressing as a player, keep enjoying football, improving every day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the national coach and earn an opportunity.”
