Back when Alex Scott made his local team debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 fans in 2019, his coach at the time assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
That prediction proved to be something of an understatement.
Now aged 22 and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the playmaker has just received his maiden summons to the full Three Lions team.
His ascent from eighth-tier talent to potential international star is a true blast from the past, a story rarely seen in the modern game.
Next stop? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was no chance of making it as a pro footballer, let alone featuring in the Premier League and playing for England as well,” the player said in a recent interview.
“It’s been a crazy five or six years of my life, and circumstances have transformed drastically for me and my family.”
So how did Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up at this level?
Developing in the lower tiers
His football journey has not been a conventional one.
He spent over four years in Southampton’s academy setup from the age of eight, leaving school early every Friday to fly from his home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could attend training and feature for the club’s academy sides.
Prior to his 13th birthday, though, they released him. Bournemouth were willing to offer him an opportunity and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, as he later admitted, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he opted to stay on Guernsey and play for his local team.
“My form had dipped and flying over weekly was starting to feel overwhelming,” he explained.
“All I desired to relax at my home with my mates at the weekend because I missed nearly four and a half years of doing that. To have that little bit of childhood back was something I really required.
“Building a bit of confidence by returning and taking part in island football was huge for me. That proved to be probably one of the most important things that got me where I am today.”
When he was just 16, Scott made history as the most youthful appearance-maker in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a 57th-minute replacement in their league fixture at Phoenix Sports.
“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 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 professional game
Championship side Bristol City – owned by Guernsey resident their owner – had been monitoring his development after an promising beginning in men’s football and gave him a try-out in late 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” said Scott. “The first day I trained with the under-18s, the second day I was with the senior squad, which was a complete shock.
“Midweek I played for his local side in the capital, travelled back and on the Friday, I played for the youth team and scored a three goals. It was almost a done deal for me to put pen to paper on a contract.”
Within a year and a half, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut versus Luton.
Scott went on to make 83 league outings for the club while still a teenager, often being deployed as a wide defender – and occasionally further forward as a number 10 – demonstrating his versatility and versatility. Despite his youth and playing out of position he was their best player.
Thanks to his ability to carry the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he picked up the moniker ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to City and England playmaker Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the EFL Championship’s young player of the season honour, was chosen in the league’s best XI and was named the club’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I think he will represent his country and I think he’ll go on to the top of the sport,” his former manager, the player’s manager at the club, stated previously.
Less than 90 days later, he signed for Bournemouth for a reported fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing his major transfer
Scott endured a difficult debut campaign with the club, having to wait until October to earn 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 affected, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for nearly four months.
“I had a decent run at the close of the previous campaign, which was good to have, then I fractured my jaw,” said he.
“That felt like almost another obstacle and it was shaping up as a pretty bad start for the first half.”
But he was then called up by England for the U21 Euros – and succeeded in regain fitness for the tournament.
He started five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they went on to win the competition in Slovakia, forming a formidable partnership in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has excelled for the senior side with the national coach.
And he has begun this season equally as strongly for Bournemouth, featuring in all matches to guide them to the top five in the standings.
“Representing the national team would be one of the proudest occasions of my life,” Scott said earlier this season.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to continue developing as a footballer, keep enjoying the game, getting better day on day, and with luck I impress the national coach and get my chance.”
