Back when Alex Scott made his local team debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 spectators in 2019, his coach at the time predicted, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
That prediction proved to be a bit of an underestimation.
Today aged 22 and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the midfielder has just received his maiden summons to the full Three Lions team.
His rise from non-league prodigy to possible England player is a proper throwback, a journey rarely seen in the modern era.
Next stop? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was no chance of becoming a professional football player, never mind playing in the Premier League and playing for England too,” the player stated in a recent interview.
“It has been a crazy five or six years of my life, and circumstances have changed drastically for me and my family.”
So in what way did Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, end up at this level?
Developing in non-league
Scott’s path in football has been far from a typical one.
He spent over four years in Southampton’s academy setup starting at eight, skipping school each Friday to fly from his island home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could train and play for the Saints’ youth teams.
Before his 13th birthday, however, they released him. The Cherries 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 opted to remain on Guernsey and play for his local team.
“My form had dipped and traveling every week was starting to feel overwhelming,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to relax at my home with my mates at weekends because I missed nearly several years of that experience. To have that slice of youth back was a thing I really required.
“To gain some self-belief by coming back and taking part in island football was huge for me. That proved to be probably one of the most important factors that got me where I am today.”
At the age of 16, Scott made history as the youngest player in the club’s records when he was introduced as a second-half replacement in their Isthmian League fixture at Phoenix Sports.
“I had sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the team because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance stated back then.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the way he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Returning to the professional game
Championship side the Robins – chaired by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been tracking his development after an promising start in men’s football and gave him a trial in December 2019.
“The whole experience was chaos,” said Scott. “Day one I joined the under-18s, the next day I was with the senior squad, which was a complete surprise.
“Midweek I played for his local side in London, returned home and on the Friday, I played for the youth team and netted a hat-trick. From that point a certainty for me to sign a deal.”
Within a year and a half, even well before his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut versus Luton.
He went on to make eighty-three league outings for the Robins while still a teenager, often being used as a wide defender – and sometimes in attack as a number 10 – demonstrating his versatility and versatility. Even at that young age and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
Thanks to his skill to carry the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to City and national team playmaker Jack Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 season he won the EFL Championship’s best young player honour, was chosen in the league’s team of the year and was named Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“No doubt, I think he will represent his country and I think he’ll go on to the top of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s manager at Ashton Gate, remarked last year.
Less than 90 days later, he signed for the Cherries for a reported transfer fee of £25m.
Securing his major transfer
Scott endured a difficult debut campaign with the Cherries, having to wait until October to earn his top-flight debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then being in and out of the starting XI.
His second campaign was just as affected, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for nearly several months.
“There was a decent run at the end of last season, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” said he.
“That felt like almost another setback and it was shaping up as quite a terrible start for the first five months.”
But he was then called up by the national team for the Under-21 European Championships – and succeeded in 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 formidable understanding in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who himself has gone on to impress for the senior side under Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started this season just as strongly for Bournemouth, featuring in all matches to help them to the top five in the table.
“Representing the national team would be among the most special moments of my life,” the player stated recently.
“It’s down to me, I must keep progressing as a footballer, maintain my love for football, improving every day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the England manager and earn an opportunity.”
