Back when the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his manager back then assured, “there’s more to come from this youngster.”
That statement turned out to be a bit of an underestimation.
Now 22 years old and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the midfielder has just received his maiden call-up to the senior Three Lions squad.
His ascent from eighth-tier talent to possible England player is a proper 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, never mind playing in the Premier League and playing for 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 completely for me and my family.”
So how did Alex Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself here?
Developing in the lower tiers
Scott’s football journey has been far from a conventional one.
He was part of over four years in the Saints’ academy setup from the age of eight, skipping school each Friday to fly from his island home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could attend training and play for the club’s academy sides.
Prior to he turned 13, however, they decided to let him go. Bournemouth were willing to offer Scott an option and he remained with them for a time, but, as he later admitted, his heart wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he opted to remain on Guernsey and play for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and traveling every week was starting to feel overwhelming,” he recalled.
“All I desired to relax at home with my mates at weekends because I missed almost four and a half years of doing that. Getting that slice of youth back was something I really needed.
“To gain a bit of confidence by coming back and taking part in island football was massive for me. That proved to be perhaps the most crucial things that led me to this point.”
At the age of 16, the teenager made history as the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a second-half substitute in their Isthmian League fixture at the opposition.
“I had sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could include him in the team because his talent is obvious,” manager Tony Vance stated at the time.
“People have witnessed that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the manner he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Making a comeback to the professional game
Championship side Bristol City – owned by islander Steve Lansdown – had been tracking Scott’s early progress after an impressive start in adult football and arranged a try-out in late 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” recalled the player. “Day one I trained with the under-18s, the second day I trained with the first team, which was a complete surprise.
“Midweek I played for Guernsey FC in London, returned home and on the Friday, I took the field for the youth team and scored a three goals. From that point a certainty for me to sign a deal.”
Within a year and a half, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his first-team debut versus the Hatters.
He went on to make 83 league outings for the club while still a teenager, often being deployed as a wing-back – and sometimes in attack as a attacking midfielder – such was his adaptability and flexibility. Even at that young age and not in his natural role he was their best player.
With his ability to carry the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he picked up the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a nod to City and national team attacking midfielder 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 team of the year and was named the club’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I think he will represent England and I think he will progress to the top of the game,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s manager at the club, stated previously.
Within 90 days after, he joined the Cherries for a understood fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his major transfer
The midfielder endured a difficult debut campaign with the club, having to wait until the autumn to make his Premier League debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then being inconsistent of the team.
His following season was just as affected, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for nearly four months.
“I had a decent run at the close of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained Scott.
“That felt like yet another obstacle and the year was turning out to be quite a terrible year for the first five months.”
But he was then selected by England for the U21 Euros – and managed to get himself fit for the tournament.
He started five of the England U21s’ six games as they went on to win the tournament in the host nation, forming a formidable partnership in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who himself has excelled for the senior side under the national coach.
And he has begun the current campaign just as impressively for Bournemouth, playing in all matches to guide them to fifth in the standings.
“Representing the national team would be one of the proudest moments of my career,” the player stated earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I must continue developing as a player, keep enjoying the game, improving every day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the England manager and get my chance.”
