When Alex Scott stepped onto the pitch for his local team debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 fans in 2019, his manager at the time assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
This statement turned out to be a bit of an understatement.
Today aged 22 and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the playmaker has just received his maiden summons to the senior England team.
His rise from non-league prodigy to possible international star is a true blast from the past, a story rarely told in the modern game.
What’s next? A major tournament?
“Back then, there was zero possibility of making it as a pro footballer, never mind playing in the top division and playing for the national team as well,” Scott stated in a recent interview.
“It’s been a incredible half-dozen years of my life, and things have transformed completely for myself and my family.”
But in what way did Alex Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up at this level?
Developing in non-league
His football journey has not been a typical one.
He spent over four years in the Saints’ academy setup from the age of eight, leaving school early every Friday to travel by air from his home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could train and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.
Before his 13th birthday, however, they released him. The Cherries were willing to offer him an option and he remained with them for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind was not in it.
Instead, he opted to remain on Guernsey and play for his local team.
“My form had dipped and flying over every week was becoming overwhelming,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to relax at my home with my mates at the weekend because I missed nearly four and a half years of that experience. To have that little bit of childhood back was a thing I really needed.
“To gain some confidence by coming back and playing island football was huge for me. That proved to be perhaps one of the most important things that led me where I am today.”
When he was just 16, the teenager made history as the most youthful appearance-maker in Guernsey’s history when he came on as a second-half substitute in their Isthmian League match at the opposition.
“I had sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the side because he’s that good,” manager the coach commented back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the manner he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”
Returning to the professional game
Second-tier club the Robins – chaired by Guernsey resident their owner – had been monitoring his development after an promising beginning in adult football and gave him a try-out in December 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” said Scott. “The first day I trained with the under-18s, the second day I was with the senior squad, which was a complete shock.
“On the Wednesday I featured for his local side in the capital, returned home and on the Friday, I played for the youth team and scored a three goals. It was almost a done deal for me to sign a contract.”
Within 18 months, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his first-team debut versus Luton.
He went on to make 83 league appearances for the Robins while still a teenager, frequently being deployed as a wing-back – and sometimes in attack as a attacking midfielder – such was his versatility and versatility. 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 earned the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to City and England attacking midfielder Jack 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 league’s team of the year and was named the club’s player and young player of the Year.
“No doubt, I think he’ll play for his country and I’m sure he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the sport,” his former manager, the player’s manager at Ashton Gate, remarked previously.
Less than 90 days after, he joined the Cherries for a understood transfer fee of £25m.
Getting his big move
Scott endured a difficult first season with the club, waiting until October to earn his Premier League debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then finding himself inconsistent of the team.
His second campaign was just as disrupted, this time by a surgery which ruled him out for almost several months.
“There was a decent run at the close of last season, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained he.
“It was almost another setback and the year was shaping up as a pretty bad year for the first five months.”
But he was then called up 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 England U21s’ six matches as they claimed victory in the competition in the host nation, developing a strong understanding in midfield with his teammate, who in turn has gone on to impress for the senior side with the national coach.
And he has begun this season just as strongly for his club, playing in all matches to guide them to fifth in the standings.
“To play for the national team would be one of the proudest occasions of my career,” Scott stated earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to continue developing as a player, maintain my love for football, improving every day, and with luck I impress the England manager and get my chance.”
