Back when the young midfielder made his local team debut versus Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 fans in 2019, his manager at the time predicted, “we haven’t seen the best from this youngster.”
That statement turned out to be a bit of an underestimation.
Now aged 22 and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the midfielder has just received his maiden summons to the full England team.
His ascent from eighth-tier talent to possible England player is a proper blast from the past, a story rarely told in the modern game.
Next stop? A major tournament?
“In my mind, there was no chance of becoming a pro footballer, let alone playing in the Premier League and representing the national team as well,” the player said 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 fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up here?
Developing in the lower tiers
Scott’s football journey has been far from a typical one.
He spent over four years in the Saints’ academy setup starting at eight, skipping school every Friday to fly from his home on the Channel Island to the south coast so he could train and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.
Prior to his 13th birthday, however, they decided to let him go. Bournemouth gave Scott an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a time, but, as he later admitted, his heart wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he chose to stay on the island and play for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and flying over weekly was starting to feel overwhelming,” he explained.
“All I desired to chill at home with my friends at weekends because I missed nearly four and a half years of doing that. Getting that little bit of youth again was something I definitely required.
“Building some confidence by returning and playing island football was huge for me. It was perhaps one of the most important factors that led me where I am today.”
At the age of 16, the teenager became the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a 57th-minute replacement in their league fixture at the opposition.
“I’ve been having trouble sleeping because I was figuring out how I could include him in the side because he’s that good,” manager Tony Vance commented back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the way he runs with the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Second-tier club Bristol City – owned by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been tracking Scott’s development after an promising beginning in men’s football and gave him a trial in December 2019.
“The whole experience was chaos,” recalled Scott. “The first day I joined the under-18s, the next day I was with the first team, which was a complete surprise.
“Midweek I featured for Guernsey FC in London, travelled back and by Friday, I took the field for Bristol City Under-18s and scored a hat-trick. It was almost a certainty for me to put pen to paper on a deal.”
Within a year and a half, even well before his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut against Luton.
He went on to make eighty-three league outings for the club while still a teenager, frequently being used as a wing-back – and sometimes further forward as a attacking midfielder – demonstrating his adaptability and flexibility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was their best player.
Thanks to his skill to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a nod to City and national team attacking midfielder Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he won the second tier’s young player of the season honour, was selected in the division’s team of the year and was named the club’s player and young player of the Year.
“No doubt, I believe he will represent England and I think he’ll go on to the top of the game,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s boss at the club, remarked last year.
Less than 90 days later, he signed for Bournemouth for a understood transfer fee of £25m.
Getting his big move
Scott experienced a challenging debut campaign with the Cherries, waiting until October to earn his Premier League debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then being in and out of the team.
His following season was just as disrupted, this time by a surgery which ruled him out for almost four months.
“There was quite a good run at the close of last season, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” said Scott.
“It was yet another obstacle and it was shaping up as a pretty bad start for the first half.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the Under-21 European Championships – and managed to get himself fit for the tournament.
He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six games as they went on to win the tournament in the host nation, developing a strong partnership in midfield with his teammate, who in turn has gone on to impress for the first team with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started this season just as strongly for Bournemouth, featuring in all matches to help them to fifth in the table.
“Representing the national team would be among the most special moments of my life,” the player said earlier this season.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to keep progressing as a player, keep enjoying the game, getting better every day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the England manager and earn an opportunity.”
