When the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 spectators in 2019, his coach at the time assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
That statement turned out to be something of an understatement.
Now 22 years old and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the playmaker has earned his first call-up to the senior Three Lions squad.
His ascent from eighth-tier talent to possible international star is a true blast from the past, a journey seldom seen in the modern game.
Next stop? A major tournament?
“Back then, there was zero possibility of becoming a professional football player, never mind featuring in the top division and representing England as well,” the player said in a recent interview.
“It’s been a incredible half-dozen years of my life, and things have transformed drastically for me and my loved ones.”
So how did Alex Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself here?
Developing in non-league
His football journey has been far from a conventional one.
He was part of over four years in the Saints’ academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early each Friday to travel by air from his island home on the Channel Island to the mainland so he could train and play for the club’s academy sides.
Before he turned 13, however, they decided to let him go. Bournemouth were willing to offer him an opportunity and he remained with them for a time, but, as he later admitted, his mind was not in it.
Rather, he opted to remain on Guernsey and turn out for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over weekly was becoming overwhelming,” he explained.
“All I desired to relax at home with my mates at the weekend because I missed almost four and a half years of that experience. Getting that little bit of childhood again was a thing I definitely required.
“Building a bit of self-belief by returning and taking part in local football was massive for me. That proved to be probably the most crucial factors that got me where I am today.”
When he was just 16, Scott made history as the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he came on as a 57th-minute replacement in their league fixture at the opposition.
“I’ve been having trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the team because he’s that good,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance stated back then.
“People have witnessed that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the way he runs with the ball, he’s a class act.”
Making a comeback to the professional game
Championship side Bristol City – chaired by islander Steve Lansdown – had been tracking Scott’s development after an promising start in adult football and arranged a trial in December 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” said Scott. “The first day I trained with the youth team, the second day I trained with the senior squad, which was a complete shock.
“Midweek I featured for his local side in the capital, travelled back and by Friday, I played 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 contract.”
Within 18 months, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut against Luton.
He made 83 league appearances for the Robins while still a teenager, often being deployed as a wing-back – and sometimes in attack as a attacking midfielder – demonstrating his versatility and flexibility. Despite his youth and playing out of position he was their best player.
With his ability to carry the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to City and national team attacking midfielder Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he claimed the EFL Championship’s young player of the season award, was selected in the division’s best XI and was voted Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.
“No doubt, I think he’ll play for his country and I think he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s boss at the club, stated last year.
Within 90 days later, he signed for Bournemouth for a understood transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing his major transfer
Scott endured a challenging debut campaign with the Cherries, waiting until October to earn his Premier League debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then being inconsistent of the team.
His following season was equally affected, this time by a knee operation which ruled him out for nearly four months.
“There was a decent run at the end of last season, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” said he.
“That felt like yet another obstacle and the year was shaping up as a pretty bad start for the first five months.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the Under-21 European Championships – and managed to regain fitness in time.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they went on to win the competition in the host nation, developing a strong understanding in midfield with his teammate, who himself has excelled for the senior side with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has begun the current campaign equally as impressively for his club, playing in all matches to guide them to fifth in the table.
“To play for the national team would be one of the proudest occasions of my life,” Scott said earlier this season.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to keep progressing as a footballer, maintain my love for football, improving day on day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the England manager and earn an opportunity.”
