Back when Alex Scott made his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 fans in 2019, his manager back then assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
That statement turned out to be a bit of an understatement.
Now 22 years old and an established top-flight player with Bournemouth, the playmaker has earned his first summons to the senior Three Lions team.
His rise from eighth-tier talent to potential international star is a true blast from the past, a journey seldom seen in the modern game.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“Back then, there was no chance of making it as a professional football player, never mind playing in the Premier League and playing for England too,” Scott said previously.
“It’s been a incredible five or six years of my life, and things have transformed completely for myself and my family.”
But in what way did Alex Scott, known affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself at this level?
Learning in the lower tiers
Scott’s path in football has been far from a conventional one.
He was part of four and a half years in Southampton’s youth system from the age of eight, leaving school early every Friday to fly from his home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could train and play for the Saints’ youth teams.
Prior to he turned 13, however, they decided to let him go. The Cherries were willing to offer him an opportunity and he remained with them for a time, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Instead, he chose to stay on Guernsey and turn out for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling weekly was starting to feel a bit too much,” he explained.
“I just wanted to relax at my home with my mates at the weekend because I missed almost several years of doing that. To have that slice of youth back was a thing I really needed.
“Building some confidence by returning and taking part in island football was huge for me. That proved to be perhaps one of the most important factors that got me to this point.”
When he was just 16, the teenager made history as the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he came on as a 57th-minute substitute in their Isthmian League fixture at Phoenix Sports.
“I had sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the side because he’s that good,” Guernsey boss the coach stated at the time.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the way he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Making a comeback to the professional game
Second-tier club the Robins – chaired by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring Scott’s early progress after an promising beginning in men’s football and arranged a trial in late 2019.
“The whole experience was chaos,” said Scott. “Day one I joined the youth team, the second day I was with the senior squad, which was a total surprise.
“Midweek I played for Guernsey FC in the capital, travelled back and by Friday, I took the field for the youth team and scored a hat-trick. It was almost a certainty for me to put pen to paper on a contract.”
In just a year and a half, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut versus Luton.
Scott made 83 league appearances for the club while in his teens, often being deployed as a wing-back – and sometimes further forward as a number 10 – demonstrating his adaptability and flexibility. Despite his youth and playing out of position 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 ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a reference to City and national team playmaker Jack Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the EFL Championship’s best young player award, was chosen in the division’s best XI and was voted the club’s player and young player of the Year.
“No doubt, I believe he’ll play for his country and I’m sure he’ll go on to the top of the game,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s manager at Ashton Gate, remarked last year.
Less than 90 days later, he signed for Bournemouth for a reported fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing his big move
The midfielder endured a challenging first season with the club, waiting until the autumn to make his top-flight debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then being in and out of the team.
His second campaign was equally disrupted, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for nearly 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 Scott.
“It was almost another setback and the year was turning out to be quite a terrible start for the first five months.”
But he was then selected by England for the U21 Euros – and managed to get himself fit in time.
He started five of the England U21s’ six matches as they claimed victory in the tournament in the host nation, forming a formidable partnership in midfield with his teammate, who himself has excelled for the first team with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has begun this season just as impressively for Bournemouth, featuring in all matches to guide them to fifth in the standings.
“Representing the national team would be among the most special moments of my career,” Scott said recently.
“The responsibility is mine, I must continue developing as a player, maintain my love for football, improving every day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the England manager and earn an opportunity.”
