Back when Alex Scott made his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 fans in 2019, his coach back then assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this youngster.”
That statement proved to be a bit of an understatement.
Now aged 22 and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the playmaker has earned his first call-up to the senior England squad.
His rise from non-league prodigy to possible international star is a proper blast from the past, a journey seldom seen in the modern era.
Next stop? A major tournament?
“In my mind, there was zero possibility of making it as a pro footballer, let alone playing in the Premier League and representing England as well,” Scott stated in a recent interview.
“It has been a crazy five or six years of my life, and things have changed completely for myself and my loved ones.”
But how did Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself here?
Learning in the lower tiers
His football journey has not been a conventional one.
He spent four and a half years in Southampton’s academy setup starting at eight, skipping school each Friday to fly from his island home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could attend training and feature for the club’s academy sides.
Before he turned 13, though, they decided to let him go. The Cherries gave Scott an option and he remained with them for a while, but, as he later admitted, his mind was not in it.
Rather, he chose to remain on the island and play for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over weekly was becoming overwhelming,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to relax at home with my friends at weekends because I missed almost four and a half years of doing that. Getting that little bit of childhood back was a thing I really required.
“To gain a bit of confidence by coming back and taking part in local football was huge for me. It was probably the most crucial things that got me where I am today.”
When he was just 16, the teenager made history as the youngest player in the club’s records when he came on as a second-half replacement in their league fixture at the opposition.
“I had sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could get him in the team because he’s that good,” manager Tony Vance commented at the time.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the manner he runs with the ball, he’s a class act.”
Returning to the professional game
Championship side the Robins – owned by islander Steve Lansdown – had been tracking Scott’s development after an promising start in adult football and gave him a trial in December 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” recalled the player. “The first day I trained with the under-18s, the second day I was with the senior squad, which was a complete surprise.
“Midweek I featured for his local side in London, travelled back and by Friday, I played for the youth team and netted a hat-trick. From that point a certainty for me to put pen to paper on a deal.”
In just 18 months, even well before his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut versus the Hatters.
He went on to make 83 league appearances for the club while still a teenager, often being deployed as a wing-back – and occasionally further forward as a number 10 – such was his versatility and versatility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was their best player.
Thanks to his ability to drive the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he picked up the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and England playmaker Jack Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the EFL Championship’s young player of the season honour, was selected in the division’s team of the year and was named Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.
“Without question, I think he’ll play for his country and I think he’ll go on to the top of the sport,” his former manager, Scott’s manager at Ashton Gate, remarked previously.
Less than 90 days later, he joined Bournemouth for a understood transfer fee of £25m.
Getting his big move
Scott experienced a difficult debut campaign with the Cherries, having to wait until the autumn to earn his Premier League debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then finding himself in and out of the team.
His following season was equally affected, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for almost several months.
“I had quite a good run at the close of last season, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” said Scott.
“It was yet another obstacle and it was shaping up as a pretty bad year for the first five months.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the U21 Euros – and managed to regain fitness for the tournament.
He started five of the Young Lions’ six games as they claimed victory in the competition in Slovakia, forming a strong understanding in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has excelled for the senior side with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has begun the current campaign just as strongly for his club, playing in every game to guide them to the top five in the table.
“Representing the England senior team would be among the most special moments of my career,” the player said earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to keep progressing as a player, keep enjoying the game, improving every day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the national coach and get my chance.”
