Back when the young midfielder made his local team debut against Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his manager at the time predicted, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
This prediction turned out to be something of an understatement.
Today 22 years old and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the playmaker has just received his maiden summons to the full Three Lions squad.
His ascent from eighth-tier talent to possible international star is a proper blast from the past, a story rarely told in the modern game.
Next stop? A major tournament?
“In my mind, there was zero possibility of making it as a pro footballer, let alone featuring in the top division and playing for England as well,” the player stated in a recent interview.
“It has been a incredible five or six years of my life, and circumstances have transformed drastically for myself and my loved ones.”
So how did Alex Scott, known fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up here?
Learning in non-league
His football journey has not been a conventional one.
He was part of over four years in the Saints’ youth system from the age of eight, skipping school each Friday to fly from his island home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could attend training and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.
Prior to his 13th birthday, however, they decided to let him go. Bournemouth gave him an opportunity and he remained with them for a while, but, as he later admitted, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he opted to remain on Guernsey and turn out for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling every week was becoming overwhelming,” he recalled.
“All I desired to relax at home with my friends at weekends because I had missed almost several years of doing that. To have that slice of youth again was a thing I really required.
“Building some confidence by returning and playing local football was massive for me. That proved to be perhaps the most crucial factors that got me where I am today.”
At the age of 16, the teenager 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 the opposition.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was figuring out how I could get him in the team because he’s that good,” manager the coach commented at the time.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his retention of the ball is exceptional, the manner he runs with the ball, he’s a class act.”
Making a comeback to the professional game
Second-tier club the Robins – chaired by islander their owner – had been monitoring his early progress after an promising beginning in men’s football and gave him a try-out in late 2019.
“It was chaos,” recalled Scott. “The first day I joined the youth team, the next day I was with the senior squad, which was a complete surprise.
“On the Wednesday I played for Guernsey FC in the capital, travelled back and on the Friday, I took the field for Bristol City Under-18s and netted a hat-trick. It was almost a done deal for me to put pen to paper on a deal.”
In just 18 months, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his first-team debut against the Hatters.
He made 83 league appearances for the club while still a teenager, often being deployed as a wing-back – and sometimes further forward as a number 10 – demonstrating his versatility and flexibility. Despite his youth and playing out of position he was the standout performer.
Thanks to his ability to carry the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the moniker ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a reference to City and national team playmaker Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the second tier’s best young player award, was selected in the division’s team of the year and was named Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I believe he will represent his country and I’m sure he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the sport,” his former manager, Scott’s boss at the club, remarked last year.
Less than three months after, he joined the Cherries for a reported transfer fee of £25m.
Getting his major transfer
Scott experienced a difficult first season with the Cherries, having to wait until the autumn to earn his top-flight debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then being in and out of the starting XI.
His following season was just as affected, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for nearly several months.
“There was a decent run at the close of last season, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” said he.
“That felt like yet another obstacle and it was shaping up as quite a terrible start for the first five months.”
But he was then selected by England for the U21 Euros – and managed to 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 partnership in midfield 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 impressively 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 moments of my life,” the player said recently.
“The responsibility is mine, I must continue developing as a player, keep enjoying football, getting better day on day, and hopefully I impress the national coach and get my chance.”
