Back when the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his coach at the time assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”
That statement turned out to be something of an understatement.
Today aged 22 and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the midfielder has earned his maiden call-up to the full England squad.
His ascent from eighth-tier talent to potential international star is a proper blast from the past, a story seldom told in the modern game.
Next stop? A major tournament?
“In my mind, there was no chance of becoming a professional football player, let alone playing in the Premier League and playing for the national team too,” Scott said in a recent interview.
“It’s been a incredible five or six years of my life, and circumstances have transformed completely for me and my family.”
But how did Alex Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, end up here?
Learning in non-league
His path in football has been far from a typical one.
He was part of over four years in Southampton’s academy setup 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, though, they decided to let him go. Bournemouth gave Scott an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Instead, he opted to remain on Guernsey and turn out for his local team.
“My form had dipped and flying over weekly was starting to feel a bit too much,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to chill at home with my friends at weekends because I missed nearly several years of that experience. To have that little bit of youth again was a thing I really required.
“Building a bit of confidence by returning and playing local football was massive for me. That proved to be probably the most crucial factors that got 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 came on as a second-half replacement in their Isthmian League fixture at the opposition.
“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could get him in the side because he’s that good,” manager the coach stated back then.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the way he runs with the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Returning to the professional game
Championship side the Robins – owned by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring his early progress after an promising start in men’s football and gave him a try-out in December 2019.
“It was hectic,” recalled the player. “Day one I joined the under-18s, the next day I trained with the first team, which was a complete shock.
“Midweek I featured for Guernsey FC in the capital, returned home and on the Friday, I played for the youth team and scored a three goals. It was almost a certainty for me to put pen to paper on a contract.”
Within a year and a half, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut against the Hatters.
He went on to make eighty-three league outings for the Robins while still a teenager, often being deployed as a wing-back – and sometimes in attack as a number 10 – demonstrating his versatility and versatility. Despite his youth and playing out of position he was the standout performer.
Thanks to his skill to carry the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and England attacking midfielder Jack Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 season he claimed the EFL Championship’s young player of the season award, was selected in the division’s team of the year and was named the club’s player and young player of the Year.
“No doubt, I believe he’ll play for his country and I’m sure he will progress to the pinnacle of the sport,” his former manager, the player’s manager at Ashton Gate, remarked previously.
Less than 90 days after, he joined the Cherries for a reported fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his big move
Scott endured a difficult first season with the club, waiting until October to earn his top-flight debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then finding himself inconsistent of the starting XI.
His second campaign was just as disrupted, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for almost several months.
“I had quite a good run at the end of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained Scott.
“It was yet another setback and the year was turning out to be a pretty bad year for the first half.”
But he was then called up by the national team for the Under-21 European Championships – and managed to regain fitness in time.
He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six games as they went on to win the tournament in the host nation, developing a formidable understanding in midfield with his teammate, who in turn has gone on to impress for the senior side with the national coach.
And he has started this season just as impressively for Bournemouth, playing in every game to help them to fifth in the table.
“Representing the England senior team would be one of the proudest moments of my life,” Scott said recently.
“The responsibility is mine, I must continue developing as a player, maintain my love for the game, improving every day, and with luck I catch the eye of the England manager and get my chance.”
