Back when the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his local team debut against Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his coach at the time predicted, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
This statement proved to be a bit of an understatement.
Now aged 22 and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the midfielder has just received his first summons to the senior Three Lions squad.
His rise from non-league prodigy to potential England player is a proper blast from the past, a story seldom seen in the modern game.
Next stop? The World Cup?
“Back then, there was no chance of becoming a pro footballer, never mind playing in the Premier League and representing the national team as well,” the player stated in a recent interview.
“It has been a incredible five or six years of my life, and things have transformed drastically for myself and my family.”
So how did Alex Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself at this level?
Learning in the lower tiers
Scott’s path in football has been far from a typical one.
He was part of over four years in the Saints’ academy setup starting at eight, skipping school every Friday to fly from his home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could attend training and play for the club’s academy sides.
Prior to his 13th birthday, however, they decided to let him go. Bournemouth gave Scott an option and he remained with them for a time, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind was not in it.
Rather, he opted to remain on the island and play for his local team.
“My form had dipped and traveling every week was becoming a bit too much,” he recalled.
“All I desired to relax at my home with my friends at weekends because I had missed almost four and a half years of that experience. Getting that slice of childhood again was something I really required.
“Building some self-belief by coming back and playing island football was massive for me. It was probably one of the most important factors that got me to this point.”
At the age of 16, Scott became the most youthful appearance-maker in the club’s records when he came on as a 57th-minute replacement in their league fixture at the opposition.
“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the side because his talent is obvious,” manager the coach stated at the time.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is exceptional, the way he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Returning to the professional game
Championship side Bristol City – chaired by islander their owner – had been tracking Scott’s early progress after an promising beginning in adult football and gave him a trial in December 2019.
“It was hectic,” said the player. “Day one I trained with the youth team, the next day I trained with the senior squad, which was a total surprise.
“Midweek I featured for Guernsey FC in London, travelled back and on the Friday, I played for the youth team and scored a hat-trick. It was almost a done deal for me to put pen to paper on a contract.”
In just 18 months, even well before his 18th birthday, he was earning his first-team debut against Luton.
Scott went on to make 83 league appearances for the Robins while still a teenager, frequently being deployed as a wing-back – and occasionally in attack as a number 10 – demonstrating his versatility and flexibility. Even at that young age and playing out of position he was the standout performer.
Thanks to his skill to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and national team attacking midfielder Jack Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 season he won the EFL Championship’s best young player honour, was chosen in the league’s team of the year and was named the club’s player and young player of the Year.
“Without question, I think he will represent his country and I’m sure he will progress to the top of the game,” his former manager, Scott’s manager at Ashton Gate, stated last year.
Less than 90 days later, he signed for the Cherries for a understood fee of £25m.
Securing his big move
Scott endured a difficult first season with the club, having to wait until October to make his top-flight debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then being inconsistent of the starting XI.
His second campaign was equally disrupted, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for almost several months.
“I had quite a good 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 turning out to be a pretty bad start for the first five months.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the U21 Euros – and managed to get himself fit in time.
He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six matches as they went on to win the tournament in Slovakia, forming a strong understanding in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has gone on to impress for the first team with the national coach.
And he has started the current campaign just as impressively for Bournemouth, featuring in all matches to help them to the top five in the standings.
“Representing the national team would be among the most special moments of my career,” Scott stated recently.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to continue developing as a player, maintain my love for football, improving day on day, and with luck I catch the eye of the England manager and earn an opportunity.”
