When Alex Scott made his local team debut against Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 fans in 2019, his manager at the time assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this youngster.”
This statement proved to be something of an understatement.
Now 22 years old and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the midfielder has just received his maiden call-up to the full Three Lions squad.
His rise from non-league prodigy to potential England player is a proper blast from the past, a story seldom told in the modern era.
What’s next? A major tournament?
“In my mind, there was zero possibility of becoming a pro footballer, let alone featuring in the top division and playing for England as well,” the player said previously.
“It’s been a crazy half-dozen years of my life, and circumstances have transformed drastically for myself and my loved ones.”
But in what way did Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up at this level?
Learning in non-league
Scott’s path in football has been far from a conventional one.
He spent four and a half years in the Saints’ youth system from the age of eight, leaving school early each Friday to fly from his island home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could train and play for the Saints’ youth teams.
Before his 13th birthday, though, they released him. Bournemouth were willing to offer Scott an opportunity and he remained with them for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he chose to remain on the island and turn out for his hometown club.
“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over every week was starting to feel a bit too much,” he recalled.
“All I desired to chill at my home with my friends at weekends because I missed nearly four and a half years of that experience. Getting that slice of childhood again was something I definitely required.
“To gain a bit of confidence by coming back and taking part in local football was huge for me. That proved to be perhaps the most crucial things that got me to this point.”
At the age of 16, the teenager made history as the most youthful appearance-maker in Guernsey’s history when he came on as a second-half replacement in their Isthmian 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 stated back then.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the manner he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Returning to the professional game
Second-tier club the Robins – owned by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring Scott’s early progress after an impressive start in adult football and arranged a trial in late 2019.
“The whole experience was chaos,” said Scott. “Day one I joined the under-18s, the next day I trained with the first team, which was a total shock.
“On the Wednesday I played for Guernsey FC in the capital, travelled back and on the Friday, I played for the youth team and scored a hat-trick. From that point a certainty for me to put pen to paper on a deal.”
Within 18 months, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut versus Luton.
Scott made 83 league outings for the Robins while still a teenager, often being deployed as a wing-back – and occasionally further forward as a number 10 – demonstrating his adaptability and versatility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was their best player.
Thanks to his ability to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to City and national team playmaker Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 campaign 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.
“Without question, I believe he’ll play for England and I think he will progress to the pinnacle of the game,” his former manager, Scott’s boss at Ashton Gate, stated last year.
Within three months later, he signed for Bournemouth for a reported fee of £25m.
Getting his big move
The midfielder endured a difficult first season with the Cherries, waiting until the autumn to make his Premier League debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then being in and out of the team.
His second campaign was equally disrupted, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for almost four months.
“I had quite a good run at the close of the previous campaign, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” said Scott.
“That felt like 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 Under-21 European Championships – and succeeded in get himself fit in time.
He started five of the England U21s’ six matches as they claimed victory in the tournament in Slovakia, 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 guide them to fifth in the table.
“To play for the England senior team would be among the most special occasions of my career,” Scott said earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to continue developing as a player, keep enjoying the game, improving every day, and with luck I catch the eye of the national coach and earn an opportunity.”
