When Alex Scott made his local team debut against Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his manager at the time assured, “there’s more to come from this youngster.”
That statement turned out to be something of an underestimation.
Today 22 years old and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the midfielder has earned his first call-up to the full England squad.
His ascent from non-league prodigy to potential international star is a proper throwback, a journey rarely seen in the modern game.
What’s next? A major tournament?
“In my mind, there was no chance of making it as a pro footballer, never mind featuring in the Premier League and representing the national team as well,” Scott stated in a recent interview.
“It has been a crazy five or six years of my life, and things have changed completely for myself and my loved ones.”
So in what way did Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself here?
Learning in the lower tiers
Scott’s football journey has been far from a conventional one.
He was part of over four years in Southampton’s youth system starting at eight, skipping school every Friday to fly from his home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could attend training and feature for the club’s academy sides.
Prior to he turned 13, though, they released him. The Cherries were willing to offer Scott an opportunity and he remained with them for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he opted to remain 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 explained.
“I just wanted to relax at home with my mates at weekends because I missed almost several years of doing that. To have that slice of childhood again was something I definitely needed.
“To gain some confidence by coming back and taking part in island football was massive for me. It was probably the most crucial factors that got me where I am today.”
At the age of 16, the teenager became the youngest player in the club’s records when he came on as a second-half replacement in their Isthmian League match at the opposition.
“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could include him in the team because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance stated back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the manner he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Second-tier club Bristol City – owned by islander their owner – had been monitoring Scott’s early progress after an promising beginning in men’s football and gave him a trial in late 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” recalled the player. “Day one I trained with the under-18s, the next day I trained with the senior squad, which was a total shock.
“On the Wednesday I featured for his local side in London, travelled back and by Friday, I took the field for the youth team and scored a hat-trick. It was almost a certainty for me to put pen to paper on a deal.”
Within a year and a half, still well before his 18th birthday, he was earning his first-team debut against Luton.
Scott made 83 league outings for the Robins while in his teens, often being deployed as a wing-back – and occasionally further forward as a attacking midfielder – demonstrating his versatility and versatility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was their best player.
Thanks to his skill to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a nod to City and national team attacking midfielder Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he claimed the EFL Championship’s young player of the season award, was chosen in the division’s team of the year and was named Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.
“Without question, I believe he’ll play for his country and I think he’ll go on to the top of the game,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s manager at the club, stated previously.
Within 90 days after, he signed for Bournemouth for a reported transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his big move
Scott experienced a challenging debut campaign with the club, waiting until the autumn to earn his top-flight debut after a knee problem in the summer, and then finding himself in and out of the team.
His following season was equally disrupted, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for nearly four months.
“I had quite a good run at the close of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” said Scott.
“That felt like yet another setback and the year 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 went on to start five of the England U21s’ six matches as they went on to win the tournament in the host nation, forming a strong understanding in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has gone on to impress 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 guide them to the top five in the table.
“Representing the England senior team would be among the most special occasions of my life,” the player stated recently.
“The responsibility is mine, I must keep progressing as a player, keep enjoying the game, improving day on day, and hopefully I impress the England manager and get my chance.”
