When Alex Scott stepped onto the pitch for his local team debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 fans in 2019, his coach at the time predicted, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”
This prediction turned out to be something of an underestimation.
Now aged 22 and an established top-flight player with Bournemouth, the playmaker has just received his first call-up to the full Three Lions team.
His rise from non-league prodigy to potential England player is a true throwback, a story rarely told in the modern era.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“Back then, there was no chance of making it as a pro footballer, let alone playing in the Premier League and playing for the national team too,” the player said in a recent interview.
“It’s been a incredible five or six years of my life, and things have changed drastically 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 non-league
His path in football has been far from a conventional one.
He spent four and a half years in the Saints’ youth system starting at eight, leaving school early each Friday to fly from his island home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could train and play for the Saints’ youth teams.
Prior to he turned 13, though, they released him. Bournemouth were willing to offer him an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a time, but, as he later admitted, his heart was not in it.
Rather, he opted to stay on the island and turn out for his local team.
“My form had dipped and flying over weekly was starting to feel a bit too much,” he explained.
“I just wanted to chill at my home with my mates at the weekend because I missed almost several years of doing that. To have that slice of youth again was a thing I definitely required.
“Building some self-belief by returning and taking part in island football was massive for me. It was perhaps one of the most important things that got me where I am today.”
At the age of 16, the teenager made history as the youngest player in the club’s records when he was introduced as a 57th-minute replacement in their Isthmian League match at the opposition.
“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the team because he’s that good,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance stated back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his retention of the ball is exceptional, the way he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Making a comeback to the pro ranks
Championship side Bristol City – chaired by Guernsey resident their owner – had been tracking Scott’s development after an impressive beginning in adult football and gave him a trial in late 2019.
“The whole experience was chaos,” recalled Scott. “Day one I trained with the youth team, the second day I trained with the senior squad, which was a total shock.
“On the Wednesday I played for his local side in London, returned home and on the Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and scored a three goals. From that point a certainty for me to put pen to paper on a deal.”
In just a year and a half, still well before his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut versus the Hatters.
He made eighty-three league outings for the Robins while in his teens, often being used as a wide defender – and occasionally further forward as a attacking midfielder – such was his versatility and versatility. Even at that young age and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
Thanks to his skill to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he picked up the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and England attacking midfielder Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he won the second tier’s young player of the season award, was chosen in the division’s best XI and was named the club’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I think he’ll play for his country and I think he’ll go on to the top of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s manager at Ashton Gate, stated previously.
Less than three months later, he signed for Bournemouth for a understood transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing his major transfer
Scott experienced a difficult debut campaign with the club, having to wait until the autumn to earn his Premier League debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then being in and out of the team.
His second campaign was equally affected, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for nearly several months.
“I had quite a good run at the end of last season, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” said he.
“That felt like almost another obstacle and the year was turning out to be a pretty bad start for the first five months.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the U21 Euros – and managed to regain fitness in time.
He started five of the Young Lions’ six games as they claimed victory in the tournament in the host nation, forming a strong understanding in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who himself has excelled for the first team with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started this season equally as strongly for Bournemouth, playing in all matches to help them to fifth in the standings.
“Representing the national team would be one of the proudest occasions of my career,” Scott said recently.
“It’s down to me, I must keep progressing as a player, keep enjoying the game, improving day on day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the national coach and earn an opportunity.”
