When Alex Scott stepped onto the pitch for his local team debut against Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 fans in 2019, his coach at the time predicted, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
That statement turned out to be something of an understatement.
Today 22 years old and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the midfielder has just received his maiden call-up to the senior Three Lions team.
His ascent from eighth-tier talent to potential international star is a true blast from the past, a journey rarely seen in the modern era.
Next stop? A major tournament?
“In my mind, there was no chance of making it as a pro footballer, let alone featuring in the top division and representing England too,” Scott said previously.
“It has been a crazy five or six years of my life, and things have transformed completely for myself and my loved ones.”
But in what way did Scott, known fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself here?
Learning in the lower tiers
His path in football has not been a conventional one.
He spent over four years in Southampton’s academy setup starting at eight, skipping school each Friday to travel by air from his home on the Channel Island to the mainland so he could train and feature for the club’s academy sides.
Before he turned 13, though, they released him. Bournemouth were willing to offer Scott an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, as he later admitted, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he chose to remain on the island and play for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and flying over weekly was becoming overwhelming,” he explained.
“I just wanted to relax at home with my friends at the weekend because I missed almost several years of doing that. To have that slice of childhood back was a thing I definitely required.
“To gain some self-belief by coming back and playing island football was huge for me. That proved to be perhaps one of the most important factors that led me where I am today.”
At the age of 16, Scott became the youngest player in the club’s records when he was introduced as a second-half substitute in their Isthmian League fixture at Phoenix Sports.
“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could include him in the side because he’s that good,” manager the coach commented at the time.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his retention of the ball is exceptional, the way he runs with the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Making a comeback to the professional game
Championship side Bristol City – chaired by islander their owner – had been tracking his early progress after an promising start in men’s football and arranged a trial in December 2019.
“It was hectic,” recalled the player. “Day one I joined the youth team, the second day I trained with the senior squad, which was a total shock.
“Midweek I played for Guernsey FC in London, returned home and on the Friday, I took the field for Bristol City Under-18s and netted a hat-trick. It was almost a done deal for me to sign a deal.”
Within 18 months, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut against Luton.
Scott made 83 league appearances for the club while still a teenager, frequently being deployed as a wide defender – and sometimes in attack as a number 10 – such was his versatility and flexibility. Despite his youth and playing out of position he was their best player.
With his skill to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he picked up 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 young player of the season honour, was chosen in the division’s best XI and was voted Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“No doubt, I think he’ll play for England and I think he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the game,” his former manager, the player’s boss at the club, stated previously.
Less than three months later, he signed for the Cherries for a reported transfer fee of £25m.
Getting his major transfer
Scott experienced a challenging debut campaign with the club, having to wait until October to earn his top-flight debut after a knee problem in the summer, and then being inconsistent of the team.
His second campaign was equally disrupted, this time by a knee operation which ruled him out for almost several months.
“There was a decent run at the close of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” said he.
“That felt like yet another obstacle and it was shaping up as a pretty bad year for the first half.”
But he was then selected by England for the Under-21 European Championships – and managed to get himself fit in time.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six games as they went on to win the tournament in the host nation, forming a formidable partnership in the middle with Elliot Anderson, 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 all matches to guide them to fifth in the standings.
“To play for the national team would be among the most special occasions of my career,” Scott stated recently.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to continue developing as a player, keep enjoying the game, getting better every day, and with luck I impress the England manager and earn an opportunity.”
