Back when the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports before just 55 spectators in 2019, his manager back then assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this youngster.”
That statement proved to be something of an understatement.
Now aged 22 and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the midfielder has just received his first call-up to the senior England squad.
His rise from non-league prodigy to possible England player is a true blast from the past, a story seldom seen in the modern game.
Next stop? A major tournament?
“Back then, there was zero possibility of making it as a pro footballer, let alone playing in the Premier League and representing the national team too,” Scott said in a recent interview.
“It’s been a crazy half-dozen years of my life, and circumstances have transformed drastically for myself and my family.”
So how did Alex Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, end up at this level?
Learning in the lower tiers
Scott’s football journey has been far from a typical one.
He was part of four and a half years in the Saints’ academy setup from the age of eight, leaving school early every Friday to fly from his island home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could train and play for the club’s academy sides.
Prior to he turned 13, though, they decided to let him go. The Cherries were willing to offer Scott an opportunity and he was on the Cherries’ books for a time, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind was not in it.
Rather, he opted to remain on the island and play for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over every week was becoming overwhelming,” he explained.
“I just wanted to chill at home with my friends at the weekend because I missed almost several years of doing that. Getting that slice of youth back was something I definitely needed.
“Building a bit of self-belief by coming back and playing island football was massive for me. It was probably one of the most important factors that led me where I am today.”
When he was just 16, the teenager became the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he came on as a second-half substitute in their Isthmian League fixture at Phoenix Sports.
“I had sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could get him in the side because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss the coach commented back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the manner he runs with the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Returning to the professional game
Championship side the Robins – chaired by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been tracking Scott’s development after an impressive beginning in adult football and gave him a try-out in late 2019.
“It was hectic,” recalled Scott. “Day one I joined the under-18s, the next day I trained with the first team, which was a complete surprise.
“On the Wednesday I featured for Guernsey FC in the capital, returned home and on the Friday, I took the field for the youth team and scored a hat-trick. It was almost 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 making his senior debut against Luton.
He went on to make 83 league outings for the Robins while in his teens, frequently being deployed as a wide defender – and sometimes further forward as a attacking midfielder – demonstrating his versatility and flexibility. Even at that young age and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
With his ability to carry the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and England playmaker Jack Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he claimed the EFL Championship’s best young player honour, was selected in the division’s team of the year and was named Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.
“No doubt, I think he will represent England and I’m sure he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the game,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s manager at the club, remarked last year.
Within 90 days later, he signed for the Cherries for a reported fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his big move
The midfielder experienced a difficult debut campaign with the Cherries, waiting until October to make his top-flight debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then being inconsistent of the team.
His second campaign was just as disrupted, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for almost several months.
“There was quite a good run at the end of last season, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained Scott.
“That felt like almost another setback and it was turning out to be a pretty bad start for the first five months.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the U21 Euros – and managed to regain fitness for the tournament.
He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six games as they went on to win the competition in the host nation, developing a formidable partnership in the middle with his teammate, who himself has excelled for the senior side under Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started the current campaign equally as impressively for his club, featuring in every game to help them to fifth in the standings.
“Representing the national team would be one of the proudest moments of my career,” the player said earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I must keep progressing 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.”
