Back when Alex Scott stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut versus 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.”
That statement turned out to be a bit of an understatement.
Now 22 years old and an established top-flight player with Bournemouth, the playmaker has just received his first summons to the full Three Lions squad.
His rise from eighth-tier talent to possible England player is a proper throwback, a story seldom seen in the modern game.
Next stop? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was no chance of becoming a pro footballer, never mind playing in the Premier League and representing the national team too,” the player said previously.
“It’s been a incredible five or six years of my life, and things have changed drastically for myself and my loved ones.”
So how did Alex Scott, known affectionately as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself at this level?
Learning in the lower tiers
His football journey has been far from a typical one.
He was part of over four years in Southampton’s academy setup from the age of eight, skipping school every Friday to fly from his island home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could attend training and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.
Prior to he turned 13, though, they decided to let him go. The Cherries were willing to offer him an opportunity and he remained with them for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind was not in it.
Rather, he chose to remain on Guernsey and turn out for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling weekly was starting to feel a bit too much,” he explained.
“All I desired to chill at my home with my friends at the weekend because I had missed almost four and a half years of that experience. To have that little bit of youth back was something I definitely needed.
“To gain some confidence by returning and playing local football was massive for me. That proved to be probably the most crucial factors that got me to this point.”
At the age of 16, the teenager became the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a second-half replacement in their league match at Phoenix Sports.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could include him in the side because his talent is obvious,” manager Tony Vance stated at the time.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the manner he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Championship side the Robins – chaired by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been tracking his development after an promising beginning in men’s football and arranged a trial in late 2019.
“It was chaos,” recalled the player. “The first day I trained with the youth team, the second day I trained with the first team, which was a complete shock.
“Midweek I played for his local side in London, returned home and by Friday, I took the field for the youth team and scored a three goals. It was almost a certainty for me to sign a contract.”
In just a year and a half, still well before his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut against the Hatters.
He made eighty-three league outings for the Robins while still a teenager, frequently being used as a wing-back – and occasionally in attack as a number 10 – demonstrating his adaptability and flexibility. Despite his youth and playing out of position he was their best player.
With his ability to carry the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and national team attacking midfielder Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the EFL Championship’s young player of the season honour, was selected in the division’s team of the year 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 pinnacle of the game,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s boss at Ashton Gate, stated previously.
Within 90 days after, he signed for Bournemouth for a reported transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing his major transfer
The midfielder experienced a challenging debut campaign with the Cherries, waiting until October to make his top-flight debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then being inconsistent of the team.
His following season was just as affected, this time by a knee operation which ruled him out for nearly several months.
“I had a decent run at the close of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained Scott.
“It was yet another setback and the year was shaping up as quite a terrible year 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 in time.
He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six games as they claimed victory in the tournament in Slovakia, developing a formidable partnership in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has excelled for the first team with the national coach.
And he has begun this season just as strongly for Bournemouth, playing in all matches to guide them to the top five in the table.
“To play for the England senior team would be one of the proudest moments of my life,” Scott stated recently.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to continue developing as a player, maintain my love for the game, getting better every day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the national coach and get my chance.”
