Back when the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 fans in 2019, his manager at the time assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
That prediction turned out to be something of an underestimation.
Today aged 22 and an established top-flight player with Bournemouth, the midfielder has earned his maiden summons to the senior England squad.
His rise from eighth-tier talent to potential international star is a true throwback, a journey rarely told in the modern game.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was no chance of making it as a pro footballer, let alone featuring in the Premier League and representing England as well,” Scott said in a recent interview.
“It has been a incredible half-dozen years of my life, and things have changed completely for myself and my family.”
But how did Alex Scott, known fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up here?
Learning in the lower tiers
His path in football has not been a typical one.
He spent over four years in Southampton’s academy setup starting at eight, skipping school each Friday to travel by air from his home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could train and play for the Saints’ youth teams.
Before he turned 13, however, they decided to let him go. Bournemouth gave Scott an opportunity and he was on the Cherries’ books for a time, but, as he later admitted, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he opted to remain on Guernsey and play for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over every week was starting to feel overwhelming,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to chill at home with my mates at weekends because I missed nearly four and a half years of doing that. Getting that slice of childhood again was something I definitely needed.
“To gain a bit of self-belief by returning and playing local football was massive for me. That proved to be probably the most crucial things that led me where I am today.”
At the age of 16, Scott made history as the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a second-half substitute in their Isthmian League match at the opposition.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was figuring out how I could include him in the side because he’s that good,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance commented back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is exceptional, the way he runs with the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Second-tier club the Robins – owned by islander Steve Lansdown – had been tracking Scott’s development after an impressive start in adult football and gave him a trial in December 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” recalled Scott. “Day one I joined the youth team, the second day I was with the first team, which was a total shock.
“On the Wednesday I played for his local side 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 done deal for me to sign a deal.”
Within 18 months, even well before his 18th birthday, he was earning his first-team debut against the Hatters.
He made 83 league appearances for the Robins while still a teenager, often being deployed as a wide defender – and sometimes further forward as a attacking midfielder – demonstrating his versatility and flexibility. Despite his youth and playing out of position he was the standout performer.
Thanks to his ability to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he picked up the moniker ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and national team playmaker Jack Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 season he claimed the second tier’s young player of the season award, was selected in the league’s team of the year and was named Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“No doubt, I believe he’ll play for his country and I’m sure he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the game,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s manager at Ashton Gate, stated previously.
Within 90 days later, he joined the Cherries for a understood transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his big move
The midfielder experienced a difficult first season with the club, having to wait until the autumn to earn his top-flight debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then finding himself inconsistent of the starting XI.
His second campaign was just as disrupted, this time by a surgery which ruled him out for nearly four months.
“There was a decent run at the close of last season, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained he.
“That felt like yet another obstacle and it was shaping up as a pretty bad year for the first half.”
But he was then selected by England for the Under-21 European Championships – and succeeded in regain fitness in time.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they went on to win the tournament in the host nation, forming a strong understanding in the middle with his teammate, who in turn has gone on to impress for the senior side with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started the current campaign equally as strongly for Bournemouth, playing in all matches to guide them to fifth in the table.
“Representing the national team would be one of the proudest moments of my life,” the player said earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to keep progressing as a footballer, keep enjoying football, getting better day on day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the national coach and get my chance.”
