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 back then assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this youngster.”
That prediction proved to be a bit of an underestimation.
Today 22 years old and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the midfielder has just received his first call-up to the full England team.
His ascent from non-league prodigy to possible international star is a true throwback, a journey rarely seen 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 representing England as well,” the player said in a recent interview.
“It has been a incredible half-dozen years of my life, and things have transformed completely for myself and my loved ones.”
So in what way did Alex Scott, known affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself here?
Developing in the lower tiers
His football journey has been far from a typical one.
He spent over four years in Southampton’s academy setup from the age of eight, leaving school early every Friday to travel by air from his home on the Channel Island to the mainland so he could attend training and play for the club’s academy sides.
Before his 13th birthday, 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 the island and play for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and flying over every week was starting to feel a bit too much,” he recalled.
“All I desired to relax at home with my mates at weekends because I had missed almost several years of that experience. Getting that little bit of childhood again was something I really required.
“Building some confidence by returning and taking part in island football was huge 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 the club’s records when he came on as a 57th-minute replacement in their league fixture at Phoenix Sports.
“I had sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the team because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss the coach commented 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 professional game
Championship side Bristol City – owned by Guernsey resident their owner – had been monitoring Scott’s development after an promising start in adult football and arranged a try-out in late 2019.
“It was chaos,” recalled the player. “Day one I trained with the under-18s, the second day I was with the first team, which was a complete shock.
“On the Wednesday I featured for his local side in the capital, travelled back and by Friday, I played for the youth team and netted a hat-trick. From that point a certainty for me to sign a contract.”
In just a year and a half, even well before his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut against the Hatters.
Scott made eighty-three league appearances for the Robins while still a teenager, frequently being deployed as a wide defender – and sometimes further forward as a attacking midfielder – demonstrating his adaptability and flexibility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was their best player.
Thanks to his skill to drive the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to City and national team playmaker Jack Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 season he claimed the EFL Championship’s young player of the season honour, was chosen in the league’s best XI and was voted the club’s player and young player of the Year.
“Without question, I think he’ll play for England and I’m sure he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the game,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s manager at the club, stated previously.
Less than three months later, he joined Bournemouth for a reported fee of £25m.
Getting his major transfer
The midfielder endured a challenging first season with the Cherries, having to wait until October to make his Premier League debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then finding himself inconsistent of the team.
His second campaign was just as affected, this time by a surgery which ruled him out for almost four months.
“There was a decent run at the close of the previous campaign, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained he.
“It was yet another setback and it was shaping up as a pretty bad start for the first half.”
But he was then called up by the national team for the U21 Euros – and managed to get himself fit for the tournament.
He started five of the Young Lions’ six games as they went on to win the tournament in Slovakia, forming a strong understanding in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has excelled for the senior side under Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started this season just as strongly for Bournemouth, playing in every game to guide them to fifth in the table.
“To play for the national team would be one of the proudest moments of my career,” Scott said earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I must continue developing as a footballer, keep enjoying the game, improving every day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the national coach and get my chance.”
