When the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports before just 55 spectators in 2019, his coach at the time assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
This statement proved to be a bit of an understatement.
Today 22 years old and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the playmaker has earned his maiden call-up to the full England team.
His rise from non-league prodigy to potential England player is a proper throwback, a journey seldom seen in the modern era.
Next stop? The World Cup?
“Back then, there was no chance of making it as a pro footballer, let alone featuring in the top division and representing the national team as well,” Scott said previously.
“It has been a crazy half-dozen years of my life, and circumstances have changed drastically for myself and my family.”
So in what way did Alex Scott, known fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up here?
Learning in non-league
His path in football has been far from a conventional one.
He spent over four years in the Saints’ academy setup starting at eight, skipping school each Friday to fly from his home on the Channel Island to the mainland so he could attend training and play for the club’s academy sides.
Before he turned 13, however, they decided to let him go. Bournemouth gave him an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he opted to remain on the island and turn out for his local team.
“My form had dipped and traveling every week was starting to feel a bit too much,” he explained.
“All I desired to relax at home with my mates at weekends because I missed nearly several years of doing that. Getting that little bit of childhood back was something I definitely required.
“Building a bit of confidence by returning and taking part in island football was massive for me. That proved to be probably the most crucial things that led me to this point.”
When he was just 16, Scott became the most youthful appearance-maker in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a second-half substitute in their Isthmian League fixture at Phoenix Sports.
“I had sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could include him in the side because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss the coach commented at the time.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his retention of the ball is exceptional, the way he runs with the ball, he’s a class act.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Second-tier club Bristol City – chaired by Guernsey resident their owner – had been monitoring Scott’s development after an impressive start in men’s football and gave him a try-out in December 2019.
“It was chaos,” said the player. “The first day I joined the under-18s, the next day I trained with the senior squad, which was a total shock.
“Midweek I featured for Guernsey FC in London, travelled back and by Friday, I took the field for the youth team and netted a hat-trick. From that point a done deal for me to sign a contract.”
Within a year and a half, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut against Luton.
He made 83 league outings for the Robins while in his teens, often being deployed as a wide defender – and occasionally further forward as a attacking midfielder – such was his adaptability and versatility. Even at that young age and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
Thanks to his ability to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he picked up the moniker ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a reference to City and England attacking midfielder Jack Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he claimed the second tier’s young player of the season honour, was selected in the league’s team of the year and was named the club’s player and young player of the Year.
“No doubt, I believe he’ll play for his country and I’m sure he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s manager at Ashton Gate, remarked previously.
Within 90 days after, he signed for Bournemouth for a understood fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his big move
The midfielder experienced a difficult first season with the Cherries, having to wait until October to make 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 just as disrupted, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for almost four months.
“There was a decent run at the close of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained Scott.
“That felt like yet another setback and the year was turning out to be a pretty bad year for the first five months.”
But he was then called up by the national team for the Under-21 European Championships – and managed to get himself fit in time.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they claimed victory in the competition in Slovakia, developing a strong partnership in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has excelled for the first team with the national coach.
And he has begun this season just as impressively for Bournemouth, featuring in every game to guide them to fifth in the standings.
“To play for the national team would be one of the proudest moments of my career,” Scott stated earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I must keep progressing as a player, maintain my love for the game, improving day on day, and with luck I impress the national coach and get my chance.”
