Back when the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his local team debut against Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 fans in 2019, his coach at the time assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
That statement turned out to be a bit of an underestimation.
Now aged 22 and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the playmaker has just received his maiden summons to the full England squad.
His rise from non-league prodigy to potential England player is a proper blast from the past, a story rarely told in the modern era.
Next stop? A major tournament?
“Back then, there was zero possibility of becoming a pro footballer, let alone playing in the top division and representing England too,” Scott stated previously.
“It’s been a incredible five or six years of my life, and circumstances have transformed drastically for me and my family.”
So in what way did Alex Scott, known affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up at this level?
Learning in non-league
Scott’s football journey has been far from a conventional one.
He spent over four years in the Saints’ youth system from the age of eight, leaving school early every Friday to travel by air from his island home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could attend training and play for the Saints’ youth teams.
Before his 13th birthday, however, they decided to let him go. The Cherries gave Scott an option and he remained with them for a time, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart wasn’t fully committed.
Instead, he chose to remain on Guernsey and turn out for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over weekly was starting to feel overwhelming,” he recalled.
“All I desired to relax at home with my friends at weekends because I missed almost several years of doing that. To have that slice of youth again was a thing I really required.
“Building some confidence by coming back and playing island football was huge for me. That proved to be probably one of the most important factors that led me where I am today.”
At the age of 16, Scott made history as the most youthful appearance-maker in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a 57th-minute replacement in their league fixture at Phoenix Sports.
“I’ve been having trouble sleeping because I was figuring out how I could include him in the team because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance stated at the time.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his retention of the ball is exceptional, the manner he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Second-tier club the Robins – owned by islander Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring his development after an impressive start in adult football and gave him a try-out in December 2019.
“The whole experience was chaos,” recalled the player. “The first day I joined the youth team, the next day I was with the senior squad, which was a complete shock.
“On the Wednesday I featured for Guernsey FC in London, travelled back and by Friday, I took the field for Bristol City Under-18s and scored a three goals. From that point a done deal for me to put pen to paper on a contract.”
Within a year and a half, still well before his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut against the Hatters.
He went on to make 83 league appearances for the club while in his teens, frequently being deployed as a wide defender – and sometimes in attack as a attacking midfielder – such was his versatility and versatility. Even at that young age and playing out of position he was their best player.
With his ability to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and national team playmaker Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 season he won the second tier’s young player of the season honour, was selected 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 his country and I’m sure he will progress to the pinnacle of the game,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s boss at Ashton Gate, stated last year.
Less than 90 days after, he joined the Cherries for a reported fee of £25m.
Securing his major transfer
The midfielder endured a challenging debut campaign with the Cherries, having to wait until October to make his Premier League debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then finding himself inconsistent of the team.
His second campaign was just as disrupted, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for almost four months.
“There was a decent run at the close of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” said he.
“It was almost another obstacle and it was turning out to be a pretty bad year for the first five months.”
But he was then selected by England for the Under-21 European Championships – and managed to regain fitness for the tournament.
He started five of the England U21s’ six games as they claimed victory in the tournament in Slovakia, forming a formidable understanding in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who himself has gone on to impress for the first team under the national coach.
And he has started the current campaign equally as impressively for his club, featuring in all matches to guide them to the top five in the table.
“To play for the England senior team would be among the most special occasions of my life,” the player stated earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to continue developing as a footballer, maintain my love for the game, getting better day on day, and with luck I catch the eye of the national coach and earn an opportunity.”
