When the young midfielder made his local team debut versus Phoenix Sports before just 55 spectators in 2019, his coach back then predicted, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
This statement turned out to be a bit of an understatement.
Today aged 22 and an established top-flight player with Bournemouth, the midfielder has earned his first summons to the full England squad.
His rise from non-league prodigy to potential England player is a true throwback, a journey rarely seen in the modern game.
Next stop? The World Cup?
“Back then, there was no chance of making it as a pro footballer, never mind playing in the Premier League and playing for England too,” the player said in a recent interview.
“It’s been a crazy half-dozen years of my life, and circumstances have changed drastically for myself and my loved ones.”
But how did Alex Scott, known affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself at this level?
Developing in non-league
His path in football has not been a conventional one.
He was part of over four years in Southampton’s youth system starting at eight, skipping school each Friday to fly from his home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could attend training and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.
Prior to he turned 13, though, they released him. The Cherries gave him an opportunity and he remained with them for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart was not in it.
Rather, he opted to stay on the island and turn out for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and flying over weekly was becoming overwhelming,” he recalled.
“All I desired to relax at my home with my mates at weekends because I missed almost several years of that experience. Getting that little bit of childhood back was something I really required.
“Building a bit of confidence by returning and playing island football was huge for me. It was probably one of the most important things that led me to this point.”
At the age of 16, the teenager became the most youthful appearance-maker in the club’s records when he came on as a second-half replacement in their Isthmian League match at Phoenix Sports.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the side because his talent is obvious,” manager the coach commented at the time.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the way he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Returning to the professional game
Championship side Bristol City – chaired by Guernsey resident their owner – had been tracking Scott’s development after an promising beginning in adult football and gave him a try-out in late 2019.
“It was hectic,” said Scott. “The first day I joined the under-18s, the next day I was with the senior squad, which was a complete shock.
“On the Wednesday I played for his local side in London, travelled back and on the Friday, I played for the youth team and netted a hat-trick. It was almost a certainty for me to sign a contract.”
In just 18 months, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut against Luton.
He made eighty-three league appearances for the club while still a teenager, often being deployed as a wide defender – and occasionally further forward as a attacking midfielder – demonstrating his versatility and flexibility. Even at that young age and playing out of position he was their best player.
With his ability to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and national team playmaker Jack Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he won the EFL Championship’s best young player award, was chosen in the league’s team of the year and was voted the club’s top player and top youngster.
“No doubt, I think he will represent his country and I think he’ll go on to the top of the game,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s boss at the club, stated previously.
Less than three months later, he signed for the Cherries for a understood fee of £25m.
Getting his big move
The midfielder experienced a challenging first season with the Cherries, waiting until the autumn 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 surgery which ruled him out for nearly several months.
“There was a decent run at the end of last season, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained he.
“It was almost another obstacle and the year was shaping up as a pretty bad year for the first half.”
But he was then called up by England for the Under-21 European Championships – and succeeded in get himself fit in time.
He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six games as they claimed victory in the tournament in the host nation, developing a strong partnership in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has gone on to impress for the senior side with the national coach.
And he has begun this season just as strongly for his club, playing in every game to help them to the top five in the standings.
“To play for the England senior team would be among the most special moments of my career,” Scott said recently.
“It’s down to me, I must keep progressing as a player, keep enjoying the game, getting better every day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the national coach and get my chance.”
