Back when the young midfielder made his local team debut against Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his manager back then predicted, “we haven’t seen the best from this youngster.”
This statement turned out to be something of an understatement.
Today aged 22 and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the playmaker has earned his maiden summons to the full Three Lions squad.
His ascent from eighth-tier talent to possible England player is a proper blast from the past, a story rarely seen in the modern era.
What’s next? A major tournament?
“Back then, there was no chance of becoming a professional football player, never mind playing in the top division and playing for the national team as well,” the player said previously.
“It has been a incredible half-dozen years of my life, and circumstances have transformed drastically for me and my family.”
So how did Alex Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself at this level?
Developing in non-league
His football journey has been far from a typical one.
He spent over four years in the Saints’ academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early every Friday to fly from his island home on the Channel Island to the south coast so he could train and play for the club’s academy sides.
Prior to he turned 13, though, they released him. The Cherries gave him an opportunity and he remained with them for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind was not in it.
Instead, he opted to stay on Guernsey and turn out for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and traveling weekly was becoming overwhelming,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to chill at my home with my friends at the weekend because I had missed nearly four and a half years of doing that. Getting that little bit of youth back was a thing I really needed.
“Building some confidence by returning and playing island football was massive for me. That proved to be perhaps one of the most important factors that led me to this point.”
At the age of 16, Scott became the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a 57th-minute substitute in their Isthmian League fixture at Phoenix Sports.
“I’ve been having trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could include him in the side because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance commented back then.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the manner he runs with the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Making a comeback to the pro ranks
Championship side Bristol City – owned by islander their owner – had been monitoring his development after an promising beginning in men’s football and gave him a trial in late 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” said the player. “The first day I joined the youth team, the second day I trained with the first team, which was a total surprise.
“On the Wednesday I played for his local side in the capital, returned home and on the Friday, I took the field for Bristol City Under-18s and netted a three goals. It was almost a done deal for me to put pen to paper on a contract.”
Within a year and a half, even well before his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut versus Luton.
Scott made 83 league outings for the Robins while in his teens, often being used as a wide defender – and sometimes further forward as a number 10 – demonstrating his adaptability and versatility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
Thanks to his ability to carry the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he picked up the moniker ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a reference to City and England attacking midfielder Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 campaign he won the EFL Championship’s young player of the season honour, was chosen in the division’s team of the year and was named Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.
“No doubt, I believe he will represent his country and I think he’ll go on to the top of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s manager at the club, remarked last year.
Within 90 days later, he joined the Cherries for a reported transfer fee of £25m.
Getting his major transfer
Scott experienced a challenging first season with the Cherries, having to wait until the autumn to earn his top-flight debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then being inconsistent of the team.
His second campaign was just as affected, this time by a knee operation which ruled him out for almost several months.
“I had quite a good run at the end of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” said Scott.
“It was almost another setback and the year was shaping up as quite a terrible year for the first half.”
But he was then called up by the national team for the U21 Euros – and succeeded in get himself fit for the tournament.
He started five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they went on to win the competition in Slovakia, developing a formidable partnership in the middle with his teammate, who in turn has excelled for the senior side under Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started the current campaign equally as strongly for his club, playing in all matches to guide them to the top five in the standings.
“Representing the national team would be one of the proudest moments of my life,” the player stated earlier this season.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to continue developing as a footballer, maintain my love for football, improving day on day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the England manager and earn an opportunity.”
