Back when Alex Scott stepped onto the pitch for his local team debut versus Phoenix Sports before just 55 spectators in 2019, his coach at the time assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this youngster.”
This statement turned out to be something of an underestimation.
Today 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 possible England player is a proper blast from the past, a journey rarely seen in the modern era.
Next stop? A major tournament?
“In my mind, there was zero possibility of making it as a pro footballer, never mind featuring in the top division and playing for England too,” the player stated in a recent interview.
“It has been a incredible five or six years of my life, and things have transformed completely for me and my family.”
So how did Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself here?
Developing in non-league
His path in football has been far from a typical one.
He was part of over four years in Southampton’s academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early each Friday to fly from his home on the Channel Island to the south coast so he could attend training and feature for the club’s academy sides.
Prior to his 13th birthday, though, they decided to let him go. Bournemouth were willing to offer Scott an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, as he later admitted, his heart wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he opted to remain on the island and play for his local team.
“My form had dipped and flying over weekly was starting to feel a bit too much,” he recalled.
“All I desired to chill at home with my friends at weekends because I had missed almost several years of doing that. To have that slice of youth again was something I definitely required.
“Building some self-belief by returning and taking part in local football was massive for me. That proved to be probably the most crucial factors that got me to this point.”
When he was just 16, the teenager became the most youthful appearance-maker in Guernsey’s history when he came on as a second-half replacement in their Isthmian League match at the opposition.
“I had sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the team because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss the coach stated at the time.
“People have witnessed that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the way he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”
Making a comeback to the professional game
Second-tier club Bristol City – chaired by islander Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring his development after an promising start in men’s football and gave him a trial in December 2019.
“It was chaos,” recalled Scott. “Day one I joined the youth team, the second day I trained with the senior squad, which was a total shock.
“On the Wednesday I played for his local side in London, travelled back and on the Friday, I took the field for Bristol City Under-18s and netted a hat-trick. From that point a done deal for me to put pen to paper on a deal.”
In just 18 months, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut versus the Hatters.
Scott went on to make 83 league outings for the Robins while in his teens, often being deployed as a wide defender – and occasionally in attack as a attacking midfielder – such was his adaptability and versatility. Even at that young age and not in his natural role he was their best player.
With his skill to drive the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he picked up the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and England attacking midfielder Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the second tier’s young player of the season honour, was chosen in the league’s team of the year and was named Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“No doubt, I believe he will represent England and I think he will progress to the top of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s boss at the club, stated previously.
Within 90 days after, he joined Bournemouth for a reported fee of £25m.
Getting his big move
Scott experienced a difficult debut campaign with the Cherries, waiting until October to earn his Premier League debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then finding himself inconsistent of the team.
His second campaign was equally disrupted, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for nearly several months.
“There was quite a good run at the end of last season, which was good to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained he.
“It was yet another obstacle and the year was turning out to be a pretty bad start for the first half.”
But he was then called up by the national team for the U21 Euros – and succeeded in get himself fit for the tournament.
He started five of the England U21s’ six games as they went on to win the competition in Slovakia, developing a strong partnership in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has gone on to impress for the senior side with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has begun this season just as strongly for Bournemouth, featuring in every game to help them to fifth in the table.
“To play for the national team would be one of the proudest occasions of my life,” the player stated 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 with luck I impress the England manager and earn an opportunity.”
