Back when Alex Scott made his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his coach back then assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”
This statement turned out to be a bit of an understatement.
Today aged 22 and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the playmaker has earned his maiden summons to the senior Three Lions squad.
His ascent from non-league prodigy to potential England player is a true blast from the past, a journey seldom told in the modern game.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“Back then, there was zero possibility of making it as a pro footballer, let alone playing in the top division and playing for the national team as well,” Scott stated previously.
“It has been a crazy five or six years of my life, and circumstances have transformed drastically for myself and my loved ones.”
So in what way did Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, end up here?
Learning in the lower tiers
Scott’s path in football has been far from a conventional one.
He was part of four and a half years in the Saints’ academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early every 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, however, they released him. Bournemouth were willing to offer him an opportunity and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind was not in it.
Rather, he opted to stay on Guernsey and turn out for his local team.
“My form had dipped and traveling every week was becoming a bit too much,” he explained.
“All I desired to chill at home with my friends at the weekend because I had missed nearly several years of that experience. To have that little bit of youth again was a thing I definitely needed.
“Building a bit of confidence by coming back and playing local football was massive for me. That proved to be probably one of the most important things that got me to this point.”
At the age of 16, Scott made history as the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a 57th-minute substitute in their Isthmian League fixture at the opposition.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was figuring out how I could include him in the side because his talent is obvious,” manager Tony Vance commented back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the way he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Second-tier club Bristol City – owned by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been tracking his development after an impressive start in men’s football and gave him a try-out in December 2019.
“It was hectic,” said the player. “The first day I trained with the under-18s, the next day I trained with the senior squad, which was a total shock.
“Midweek I played for Guernsey FC in London, travelled back and on the Friday, I took the field for the youth team and netted a hat-trick. From that point a certainty for me to sign a contract.”
In just 18 months, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut versus the Hatters.
Scott went on to make 83 league appearances for the club while in his teens, often being deployed as a wing-back – and occasionally further forward as a number 10 – such was his versatility and flexibility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was their best player.
With his skill to carry the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he picked up the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and national team 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 division’s team of the year and was voted the club’s player and young player of the Year.
“No doubt, I think he’ll play for his country and I’m sure he will progress to the top of the sport,” his former manager, Scott’s manager at the club, stated last year.
Within 90 days later, he signed for the Cherries for a reported transfer fee of £25m.
Getting his major transfer
The midfielder endured a challenging first season with the Cherries, having to wait until October to earn his Premier League debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then finding himself in and out of the team.
His following season was equally disrupted, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for almost four months.
“There was a decent run at the close of last season, which was good to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained Scott.
“It was almost another obstacle and it was turning out to be quite a terrible start for the first half.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the U21 Euros – and managed to regain fitness for the tournament.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six games as they claimed victory in the competition in Slovakia, developing a strong understanding in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who himself has excelled for the senior side with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has begun the current campaign just as impressively for Bournemouth, featuring in every game to help them to fifth in the table.
“Representing the national team would be among the most special occasions of my life,” the player stated earlier this season.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to continue developing as a player, keep enjoying football, improving day on day, and with luck I impress the national coach and get my chance.”
