When the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his manager at the time predicted, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”
That statement proved to be a bit of an underestimation.
Now aged 22 and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the playmaker has just received his maiden call-up to the senior Three Lions team.
His ascent from non-league prodigy to potential international star is a proper throwback, a journey rarely seen in the modern era.
Next stop? A major tournament?
“Back then, there was no chance of making it as a professional football player, let alone playing in the Premier League and playing for England as well,” the player said in a recent interview.
“It has been a incredible five or six years of my life, and circumstances have changed completely for me and my loved ones.”
So in what way did Alex Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself 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 the Saints’ youth system starting at eight, skipping school each Friday to fly from his island home on the Channel Island to the south coast so he could attend training and play for the club’s academy sides.
Prior to he turned 13, however, they released him. Bournemouth gave Scott an option and he remained with them for a time, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart was not in it.
Rather, he chose to remain on the island and turn out for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over every week was becoming a bit too much,” he recalled.
“All I desired to relax at my home with my mates at the weekend because I had missed nearly several years of doing that. To have that slice of childhood again was a thing I really needed.
“Building a bit of confidence by returning and playing local football was massive for me. That proved to be probably one of the most important factors that led me to this point.”
At the age of 16, Scott became the youngest player in the club’s records when he was introduced as a second-half replacement in their league match at the opposition.
“I had sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could include him in the side because he’s that good,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance commented back then.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the manner he runs with the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Second-tier club Bristol City – chaired by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been tracking Scott’s development after an impressive start in men’s football and gave him a trial in late 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” recalled the player. “Day one I joined the under-18s, the second day I was with the senior squad, which was a complete shock.
“On the Wednesday I played for Guernsey FC in London, returned home and by Friday, I took the field for the youth team and scored a three goals. It was almost a certainty for me to put pen to paper on a contract.”
Within 18 months, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut versus the Hatters.
Scott made eighty-three league appearances for the club while in his teens, frequently being deployed as a wing-back – and sometimes in attack as a attacking midfielder – 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 up the pitch, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he picked up the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and England playmaker Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he claimed the EFL Championship’s best young player award, was chosen in the league’s best XI and was voted the club’s player and young player of the Year.
“Without question, I think he’ll play for his country and I’m sure he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the game,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s manager at Ashton Gate, stated last year.
Within 90 days after, he joined Bournemouth for a understood transfer fee of £25m.
Getting his big move
The midfielder experienced a challenging debut campaign with the club, waiting until the autumn to earn his Premier League debut after a knee problem in the summer, and then being in and out of the starting XI.
His second campaign was equally affected, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for almost four months.
“I had quite a good run at the close of last season, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained Scott.
“That felt like almost another obstacle and it was turning out to be a pretty bad year for the first half.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the U21 Euros – and managed to get himself fit for the tournament.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six games as they went on to win the competition in the host nation, developing a formidable understanding in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who himself has excelled for the senior side under Thomas Tuchel.
And he has begun the current campaign equally as strongly for Bournemouth, playing in every game to guide them to the top five in the table.
“Representing the England senior team would be one of the proudest occasions of my career,” the player stated earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I must continue developing as a footballer, maintain my love for the game, improving day on day, and with luck I catch the eye of the national coach and earn an opportunity.”
