Back when Alex Scott made his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 fans in 2019, his manager back then predicted, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
That statement proved to be a bit of an underestimation.
Today aged 22 and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the playmaker has earned his first summons to the full Three Lions squad.
His rise from non-league prodigy to possible international star is a proper blast from the past, 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 professional football player, never mind featuring in the top division and playing for England too,” the player stated previously.
“It has been a incredible five or six years of my life, and circumstances have transformed drastically for myself and my loved ones.”
So in what way did Alex Scott, known affectionately as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself here?
Learning in the lower tiers
His path in football has been far from a typical 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 mainland so he could train and play for the Saints’ youth teams.
Prior to his 13th birthday, though, they released him. The Cherries gave Scott an option and he remained with them for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Instead, he chose to stay on Guernsey and turn out for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over every week was starting to feel overwhelming,” he explained.
“I just wanted to chill at home with my friends at the weekend because I missed almost several years of that experience. To have that little bit of youth back was something I really required.
“To gain a bit of confidence by coming back and taking part in island football was huge for me. It was probably the most crucial things that led me where I am today.”
At the age of 16, the teenager became the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he came on as a second-half substitute in their Isthmian League fixture at the opposition.
“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the team because his talent is obvious,” manager Tony Vance stated back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the way he runs with the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Making a comeback to the professional game
Championship side Bristol City – owned by islander their owner – had been tracking his development after an promising start in men’s football and gave him a trial in December 2019.
“It was chaos,” said the player. “Day one I trained with the youth team, the second day I was with the senior squad, which was a complete surprise.
“On the Wednesday I featured for his local side in the capital, returned home and by 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 deal.”
In just a year and a half, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut against Luton.
He went on to make eighty-three league appearances for the club while in his teens, frequently being used as a wide defender – and occasionally further forward as a number 10 – such was his adaptability and versatility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
With his skill 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 attacking midfielder Jack Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 campaign he won the second tier’s best young player honour, was selected in the league’s team of the year and was voted Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I believe he’ll play for his country and I think he will progress to the top of the sport,” his former manager, the player’s boss at the club, remarked last year.
Within 90 days later, he joined Bournemouth for a reported transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his big move
The midfielder experienced 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 in and out of the starting XI.
His second campaign was just as disrupted, this time by a knee operation which ruled him out for nearly four months.
“There was a decent run at the close of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained he.
“It was almost another obstacle and it was turning out to be a pretty bad start for the first half.”
But he was then called up by England for the U21 Euros – and succeeded in regain fitness for the tournament.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they claimed victory in the tournament in Slovakia, forming a formidable understanding in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has gone on to impress for the senior side with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has begun this season just as impressively for Bournemouth, playing in every game to help them to the top five in the table.
“To play for the England senior team would be one of the proudest moments of my career,” the player stated earlier this season.
“It’s down to me, I must keep progressing as a footballer, keep enjoying the game, getting better every day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the national coach and earn an opportunity.”
