When the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his local team debut against Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his coach at the time predicted, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”
This prediction turned out to be a bit of an understatement.
Today 22 years old and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the midfielder has earned his first summons to the full Three Lions squad.
His rise from non-league prodigy to potential England player is a proper blast from the past, a story rarely seen in the modern era.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was zero possibility of becoming a pro footballer, never mind featuring in the top division and representing England as well,” Scott stated in a recent interview.
“It’s been a incredible half-dozen years of my life, and things have changed completely for myself and my family.”
So how did Alex Scott, known affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself at this level?
Learning in non-league
His path in football has been far from a conventional one.
He spent over four years in the Saints’ youth system from the age of eight, skipping school each Friday to fly from his home on the Channel Island to the south coast so he could attend training and play for the Saints’ youth teams.
Prior to his 13th birthday, however, they decided to let him go. The Cherries were willing to offer Scott an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, as he later admitted, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he chose to stay on Guernsey and play for his local team.
“My form had dipped and traveling every week was starting to feel a bit too much,” he recalled.
“All I desired 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 childhood again was a thing I definitely required.
“Building some self-belief by coming back and taking part in local football was huge for me. That proved to be probably the most crucial things that got me where I am today.”
When he was just 16, the teenager became the most youthful appearance-maker in the club’s records when he came on as a second-half substitute in their Isthmian League match at Phoenix Sports.
“I had sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could include him in the side because he’s that good,” manager the coach commented back then.
“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 islander their owner – had been monitoring Scott’s early progress after an impressive beginning in men’s football and arranged a try-out in December 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” recalled the player. “Day one I trained with the under-18s, the second day I was with the senior squad, which was a total shock.
“On the Wednesday I featured for Guernsey FC in London, travelled back and by Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and scored a three goals. It was almost a done deal for me to sign a deal.”
Within 18 months, still well before his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut versus Luton.
He went on to make eighty-three league appearances for the Robins while in his teens, often being used as a wing-back – and occasionally in attack as a attacking midfielder – such was his adaptability and versatility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
With his skill to carry the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to City and England playmaker Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 campaign he won the second tier’s best young player award, was chosen in the division’s best XI and was named the club’s player and young player of the Year.
“Without question, I think he will represent his country and I’m sure he will progress to the top of the sport,” his former manager, the player’s manager at Ashton Gate, stated previously.
Less than 90 days later, he joined Bournemouth for a understood fee of £25m.
Securing his big move
Scott endured a challenging debut campaign with the Cherries, waiting until the autumn to earn his Premier League debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then finding himself inconsistent of the starting XI.
His second campaign was just as affected, this time by a knee operation which ruled him out for almost four months.
“There was quite a good run at the end of last season, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained Scott.
“That felt like yet another setback and the year was shaping up as quite a terrible year for the first five months.”
But he was then selected by England for the Under-21 European Championships – and managed to regain fitness in time.
He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six matches as they went on to win the tournament in Slovakia, developing a formidable partnership in midfield with his teammate, who in turn has gone on to impress for the first team under Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started the current campaign equally as strongly for Bournemouth, playing in every game to guide them to fifth in the table.
“Representing the national team would be one of the proudest occasions of my career,” Scott said recently.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to continue developing as a footballer, maintain my love for the game, improving day on day, and with luck I catch the eye of the national coach and earn an opportunity.”
