Back when Alex Scott stepped onto the pitch for his local team debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his manager at the time assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this youngster.”
That prediction proved to be a bit of an understatement.
Now aged 22 and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the playmaker has earned his first summons to the full England squad.
His rise from non-league prodigy to potential England player is a true blast from the past, a journey rarely told in the modern game.
Next stop? A major tournament?
“Back then, there was no chance of making it as a pro footballer, never mind featuring in the Premier League and playing for the national team too,” the player said in a recent interview.
“It has 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 Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself at this level?
Developing in non-league
Scott’s path in football has been far from a conventional one.
He was part of 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 feature for the club’s academy sides.
Prior to his 13th birthday, however, they released him. The Cherries were willing to offer him an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a time, but, as he later admitted, his heart was not in it.
Instead, he opted to stay on Guernsey and play for his hometown club.
“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling every week was starting to feel overwhelming,” he explained.
“All I desired to relax at home with my friends at the weekend because I missed almost several years of that experience. To have that slice of childhood again was a thing I definitely needed.
“To gain some self-belief by coming back and playing island football was massive for me. It was probably 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 was introduced as a 57th-minute substitute in their league fixture at the opposition.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was figuring out how I could include him in the side because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance commented back then.
“People have witnessed that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the way he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Championship side Bristol City – owned by islander Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring Scott’s development after an promising start in men’s football and gave him a try-out in late 2019.
“It was chaos,” said the player. “The first day I joined the youth team, the second day I was with the first team, which was a complete shock.
“On the Wednesday I featured for his local side in London, returned home and on the Friday, I played for the youth team and netted a three goals. It was almost a done deal for me to put pen to paper on a deal.”
In just 18 months, even well before his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut against the Hatters.
Scott made eighty-three league outings for the Robins while still a teenager, frequently being used as a wide defender – and occasionally further forward as a number 10 – demonstrating his adaptability and flexibility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
With his ability to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he picked up the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and England playmaker Jack Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he claimed the second tier’s young player of the season honour, was chosen in the division’s best XI and was named Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“No doubt, I think he will represent England and I think he will progress to the top of the game,” his former manager, Scott’s manager at the club, stated last year.
Less than 90 days later, he signed for the Cherries for a reported transfer fee of £25m.
Getting his big move
Scott endured a challenging first season with the club, waiting until October to make his top-flight debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then finding himself in and out of the starting XI.
His following season was just as disrupted, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for almost four months.
“I had quite a good run at the end of last season, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” said he.
“That felt like yet another obstacle and the year was shaping up as quite a terrible start for the first five months.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the U21 Euros – and succeeded in regain fitness in time.
He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six matches as they claimed victory in the competition in Slovakia, developing a formidable partnership in midfield with his teammate, who himself has gone on to impress for the senior side with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started this season just as impressively for Bournemouth, playing in every game to help them to the top five in the table.
“Representing the England senior team would be one of the proudest occasions of my life,” Scott said earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to continue developing as a footballer, maintain my love for football, getting better every day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the national coach and get my chance.”
