Back when Alex Scott stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 fans in 2019, his manager back then predicted, “there’s more to come from this youngster.”
That statement proved to be something of an underestimation.
Today 22 years old and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the playmaker has earned his first call-up to the full Three Lions team.
His ascent from eighth-tier talent to possible international star is a true throwback, a journey seldom seen in the modern era.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was zero possibility of becoming a professional football player, let alone featuring in the Premier League and playing for the national team too,” Scott stated in a recent interview.
“It’s been a incredible half-dozen years of my life, and things have changed drastically for myself and my loved ones.”
But in what way did 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 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 mainland so he could train and play for the club’s academy sides.
Before his 13th birthday, though, they released him. The Cherries gave him an option and he remained with them for a time, but, as he later admitted, his mind was not in it.
Rather, he opted to stay on the island and turn out for his local team.
“My form had dipped and flying over weekly was starting to feel a bit too much,” he recalled.
“All I desired to relax at my home with my friends at the weekend because I missed almost four and a half years of that experience. To have that little bit of childhood again was something I definitely needed.
“Building a bit of confidence by coming back and playing local football was massive for me. It was perhaps one of the most important factors that led me to this point.”
When he was just 16, Scott became the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a second-half substitute in their Isthmian League match at Phoenix Sports.
“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the team because he’s that good,” manager the coach stated at the time.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the manner he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Second-tier club Bristol City – chaired by islander Steve Lansdown – had been tracking his development after an promising beginning in adult football and gave him a trial in late 2019.
“It was hectic,” recalled the player. “The first day I trained with the youth team, the second day I trained with the first team, which was a total shock.
“On the Wednesday I played for Guernsey FC in the capital, travelled back and on the Friday, I played for the youth team and netted a three goals. From that point a done deal for me to sign a contract.”
In just 18 months, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut versus Luton.
Scott went on to make 83 league appearances for the club while still a teenager, often being deployed as a wide defender – and sometimes in attack as a number 10 – demonstrating his versatility and versatility. Even at that young age and playing out of position he was the standout performer.
Thanks to his skill to carry the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to City and England attacking midfielder Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 season he claimed the second tier’s best young player award, was selected in the division’s best XI and was voted Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I believe he will represent England and I’m sure he will progress to the top of the game,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s manager at the club, stated last year.
Within 90 days after, he joined the Cherries for a reported fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his major transfer
The midfielder endured a challenging first season with the club, waiting until October to make his Premier League debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then finding himself 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 last season, which was good to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained Scott.
“It was almost another setback and it was shaping up as quite a terrible year for the first five months.”
But he was then called up by England for the Under-21 European Championships – and succeeded in get himself fit in time.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six games as they claimed victory in the tournament in Slovakia, developing a formidable partnership in the middle with his teammate, who in turn has gone on to impress for the first team with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started the current campaign just as strongly for Bournemouth, playing in every game to help them to the top five in the table.
“To play for the England senior team would be among the most special moments of my career,” Scott stated earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to keep progressing as a player, maintain my love for the game, getting better day on day, and with luck I impress the national coach and get my chance.”
