Back when Alex Scott made his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 fans in 2019, his manager back then assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
That statement turned out to be something of an underestimation.
Today 22 years old and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the playmaker has just received his maiden summons to the senior Three Lions team.
His rise from non-league prodigy to possible England player is a proper blast from the past, a journey seldom seen in the modern game.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“Back then, there was no chance of becoming a pro footballer, let alone featuring in the top division and playing for England as well,” Scott stated previously.
“It’s been a crazy five or six years of my life, and things have transformed completely for myself and my family.”
So in what way did Alex Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, end up here?
Learning in non-league
His path in football has not been a typical one.
He spent over four years in the Saints’ youth system starting at eight, skipping school each Friday to fly from his island home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could train and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.
Before he turned 13, however, they released him. Bournemouth gave him 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.
Rather, he chose to stay on the island and play for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over every week was becoming a bit too much,” he recalled.
“All I desired to relax at home with my friends at the weekend because I had missed nearly several years of that experience. To have that slice of childhood again was something I really required.
“Building some confidence by coming back and taking part in local football was huge for me. That proved to be perhaps the most crucial things that got me where I am today.”
When he was just 16, Scott became the most youthful appearance-maker in Guernsey’s history when he came on as a second-half replacement in their league match at the opposition.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was figuring out how I could get him in the side because his talent is obvious,” manager the coach stated back then.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is exceptional, the manner he runs with the ball, he’s a class act.”
Making a comeback to the professional game
Championship side the Robins – chaired by islander Steve Lansdown – had been tracking Scott’s development after an promising start in adult football and arranged a try-out in December 2019.
“It was chaos,” said the player. “The first day I joined the under-18s, the second day I was with the first team, which was a total shock.
“Midweek I featured for Guernsey FC in London, travelled back and on the Friday, I played for the youth team and netted 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 some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut against Luton.
Scott made eighty-three league appearances for the Robins while in his teens, frequently being deployed as a wing-back – and sometimes further forward as a attacking midfielder – demonstrating 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 moniker ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and national team attacking midfielder Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the second tier’s young player of the season award, was chosen in the division’s team of the year and was voted the club’s top player and top youngster.
“No doubt, I think he will represent England and I’m sure he’ll go on to the top of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s manager at Ashton Gate, remarked previously.
Less than 90 days later, he joined Bournemouth for a reported transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing his major transfer
Scott endured a challenging debut campaign with the Cherries, having to wait until October to earn his Premier League debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then finding himself inconsistent of the team.
His following season was just as affected, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for nearly several months.
“I had quite a good run at the close of last season, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” said he.
“That felt like almost another setback and it was turning out to be a pretty bad year for the first five months.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the Under-21 European Championships – and succeeded in get himself fit in time.
He started five of the England U21s’ six matches as they went on to win the tournament in the host nation, developing a formidable partnership in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has excelled for the first team with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started this season just as strongly for his club, playing in all matches to guide them to fifth in the standings.
“To play for the England senior team would be one of the proudest moments of my life,” the player said recently.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to keep progressing as a player, keep enjoying football, improving day on day, and with luck I impress the national coach and get my chance.”
