Back when Alex Scott stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports before just 55 fans in 2019, his manager at the time assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
That statement turned out to be a bit of an understatement.
Today 22 years old and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the midfielder has just received his first summons to the full Three Lions squad.
His ascent from eighth-tier talent to potential England player is a proper blast from the past, a story rarely seen in the modern era.
Next stop? A major tournament?
“In my mind, there was zero possibility of becoming a professional football player, let alone featuring in the top division and playing for England too,” Scott stated previously.
“It’s been a crazy half-dozen years of my life, and things have changed completely for me and my loved ones.”
But in what way did Alex Scott, known affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up at this level?
Developing in the lower tiers
His football journey has not been a typical one.
He spent over four years in the Saints’ academy setup from the age of eight, skipping school every Friday to travel by air from his island home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could attend training and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.
Before he turned 13, though, they released him. Bournemouth gave him an option and he remained with them for a time, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind was not in it.
Rather, he chose to stay on Guernsey and play for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and traveling weekly was becoming a bit too much,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to chill at my home with my friends at weekends because I missed almost four and a half years of that experience. Getting that little bit of youth again was something I definitely needed.
“To gain a bit of self-belief by coming back and playing island football was massive for me. It was probably one of the most important factors that led me where I am today.”
When he was just 16, Scott made history as the youngest player in the club’s records when he came on as a second-half replacement in their Isthmian League match at the opposition.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the side because he’s that good,” manager the coach stated at the time.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the way he runs with the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Second-tier club the Robins – chaired by Guernsey resident their owner – had been tracking his development after an promising beginning in adult football and arranged a trial in December 2019.
“It was chaos,” said the player. “Day one I trained with the youth team, the next day I was with the senior squad, which was a total surprise.
“Midweek I played for his local side in London, returned home and by Friday, I took the field for the youth team and netted a three goals. From that point a done deal for me to sign a deal.”
In just a year and a half, still well before his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut versus the Hatters.
He went on to make 83 league outings for the Robins while still a teenager, frequently being deployed as a wide defender – and occasionally in attack as a attacking midfielder – such was his versatility and versatility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was their best player.
Thanks to his skill to drive the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he picked up the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to City and national team attacking midfielder Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the second tier’s young player of the season honour, was selected in the league’s best XI and was named Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I believe he will represent England and I’m sure he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s boss at Ashton Gate, stated previously.
Less than three months later, he joined Bournemouth for a reported transfer fee of £25m.
Getting his big move
Scott endured a challenging first season with the club, having to wait until the autumn to make his top-flight debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then finding himself inconsistent of the starting XI.
His following season was just as affected, this time by a knee operation which ruled him out for nearly four months.
“I had quite a good run at the end of last season, which was good to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained he.
“That felt like almost another obstacle and the year was turning out to be quite a terrible start for the first half.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the Under-21 European Championships – and succeeded in get himself fit for the tournament.
He started five of the England U21s’ six matches as they went on to win the tournament in the host nation, forming a formidable partnership in the middle with his teammate, who himself has excelled for the senior side under Thomas Tuchel.
And he has begun the current campaign just as impressively for his club, featuring in all matches to guide them to the top five in the table.
“To play for the national team would be one of the proudest occasions of my life,” the player said earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to keep progressing as a footballer, keep enjoying football, getting better every day, and with luck I catch the eye of the national coach and earn an opportunity.”
