When the young midfielder made his local team debut against Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 fans in 2019, his manager at the time assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
This statement proved to be a bit of an understatement.
Today 22 years old and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the midfielder has earned his maiden summons to the full England squad.
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.
Next stop? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was zero possibility of becoming a professional football player, never mind featuring in the top division and playing for the national team as well,” the player stated previously.
“It’s been a incredible five or six years of my life, and circumstances have changed drastically for me and my loved ones.”
So how did Alex Scott, known affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up here?
Learning in non-league
Scott’s football journey has not been a typical one.
He spent four and a half years in Southampton’s youth system starting at eight, leaving school early each Friday to fly from his island home on the Channel Island to the mainland so he could attend training and feature for the club’s academy sides.
Prior to he turned 13, however, they decided to let him go. The Cherries gave him an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart was not in it.
Instead, he opted to stay on the island and turn out for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and traveling every week was starting to feel overwhelming,” he explained.
“All I desired to chill at home with my friends at the weekend because I missed almost several years of that experience. To have that slice of childhood back was something I definitely required.
“To gain some self-belief by returning and taking part in local football was massive for me. It was perhaps one of the most important factors that got me where I am today.”
When he was just 16, the teenager made history as the most youthful appearance-maker in the club’s records when he came on as a second-half replacement 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 his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance stated back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the way he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Making a comeback to the pro ranks
Second-tier club the Robins – owned by islander their owner – had been monitoring Scott’s development after an promising beginning in adult football and gave him a try-out in December 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” said Scott. “Day one I trained with the under-18s, the next day I trained with the senior squad, which was a total shock.
“On the Wednesday I played for his local side in the capital, travelled back and on the Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and netted a three goals. It was almost a done deal for me to sign a deal.”
Within a year and a half, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut versus the Hatters.
Scott went on to make eighty-three league appearances for the Robins while in his teens, often being deployed as a wing-back – and occasionally further forward as a number 10 – demonstrating his versatility and versatility. Even at that young age and playing out of position he was their best player.
Thanks to his skill to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he picked up the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to City and England playmaker Jack Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he won the EFL Championship’s young player of the season award, was chosen in the division’s team of the year and was voted Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“No doubt, I believe he’ll play for his country and I think he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s boss at Ashton Gate, remarked previously.
Less than 90 days later, he signed for the Cherries for a understood transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his major transfer
The midfielder endured a challenging first season with the club, having to wait until the autumn to earn his Premier League debut after a knee problem in the summer, and then being in and out of the starting XI.
His following season was equally affected, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for almost several months.
“There was quite a good run at the close of the previous campaign, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained Scott.
“It was almost another obstacle and it was shaping up as quite a terrible start for the first five months.”
But he was then selected by England for the Under-21 European Championships – and succeeded in get himself fit in time.
He started five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they went on to win the competition in Slovakia, forming a formidable partnership in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has gone on to impress for the first team with the national coach.
And he has begun the current campaign just as impressively for Bournemouth, playing in every game to guide them to the top five in the table.
“Representing the national team would be one of the proudest moments of my life,” the player stated earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to keep progressing as a player, keep enjoying football, improving day on day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the England manager and get my chance.”
