Back when the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 spectators in 2019, his manager at the time assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this youngster.”
This statement proved to be something of an understatement.
Today 22 years old and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the playmaker has earned his maiden summons to the senior Three Lions squad.
His rise from non-league prodigy to potential international star is a proper blast from the past, a story seldom told in the modern era.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was no chance of making it as a professional football player, let alone featuring in the Premier League and representing the national team as well,” Scott said in a recent interview.
“It’s been a incredible five or six years of my life, and circumstances have transformed completely for myself and my loved ones.”
So in what way did Alex Scott, known fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up here?
Learning in non-league
His football journey has not been a typical one.
He was part of four and a half years in the Saints’ youth system from the age of eight, leaving school early each Friday to fly from his home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could attend training and feature for the club’s academy sides.
Prior to his 13th birthday, however, they released him. The Cherries gave him an option and he remained with them for a time, but, as he later admitted, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he chose to stay on Guernsey and play for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling every week was becoming a bit too much,” he recalled.
“All I desired to relax at my home with my mates at the weekend because I missed nearly several years of doing that. Getting that slice of youth back was something I really needed.
“Building some self-belief by returning and taking part in island football was massive for me. That proved to be probably one of the most important factors that got me where I am today.”
When he was just 16, Scott made history as the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a second-half replacement in their league match at Phoenix Sports.
“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could include him in the side because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance stated back then.
“People have witnessed that – his possession 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 Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring Scott’s early progress after an impressive start in men’s football and gave him a try-out in late 2019.
“It was hectic,” said Scott. “The first day I trained with the under-18s, the next day I was with the senior squad, which was a total surprise.
“Midweek I featured for Guernsey FC in the capital, travelled back and by Friday, I took the field for the youth team and netted a three goals. It was almost a done deal for me to sign a deal.”
Within a year and a half, still well before his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut versus the Hatters.
He went on to make 83 league outings for the Robins while in his teens, frequently being deployed as a wide defender – and occasionally further forward as a number 10 – such was his adaptability and versatility. Even at that young age and playing out of position he was their best player.
Thanks to his skill to drive the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to City and England playmaker Jack Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 season he claimed the EFL Championship’s best young player honour, was chosen in the division’s team of the year and was voted Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“No doubt, I believe he’ll play for his country and I’m sure he will progress to the pinnacle of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s boss at the club, stated previously.
Within three months after, he signed for Bournemouth for a understood transfer fee of £25m.
Securing his major transfer
Scott experienced a difficult debut campaign with the Cherries, waiting until the autumn to earn his top-flight debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then being in and out of the team.
His second campaign was just as affected, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for almost several months.
“There was a decent run at the end of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” said Scott.
“It was yet another obstacle and it was turning out to be a pretty bad start for the first five months.”
But he was then selected 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 matches as they claimed victory in the tournament in the host nation, developing a formidable understanding in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has excelled for the first team under the national coach.
And he has started the current campaign just as impressively for his club, playing in every game to help them to the top five in the table.
“Representing the national team would be among the most special moments of my career,” Scott said earlier this season.
“It’s down to me, I must keep progressing as a player, keep enjoying football, getting better every day, and with luck I impress the England manager and earn an opportunity.”
