Back when Alex Scott made his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports before just 55 fans in 2019, his coach back then predicted, “we haven’t seen the best from this youngster.”
That statement turned out to be a bit of an understatement.
Today aged 22 and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the playmaker has just received his maiden summons to the senior Three Lions squad.
His rise from non-league prodigy to possible England player is a true blast from the past, a journey seldom told in the modern era.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“Back then, there was zero possibility of making it as a professional football player, let alone 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 circumstances have transformed completely for myself and my family.”
But how did Alex Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up here?
Learning in non-league
His path in football has been far from a typical one.
He was part of over four years in the Saints’ 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 play for the club’s academy sides.
Before his 13th birthday, though, they released him. Bournemouth were willing to offer him an option and he remained with them for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart wasn’t fully committed.
Instead, he opted to stay on the island and play for his local team.
“My form had dipped and traveling weekly was becoming a bit too much,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to relax at my home with my mates at weekends because I had missed nearly several years of that experience. To have that little bit of youth back was something I definitely required.
“Building a bit of self-belief by returning and taking part in local football was huge for me. It was probably one of the most important things that got me where I am today.”
At the age of 16, Scott became the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a 57th-minute replacement in their league match at the opposition.
“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could include him in the team because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss the coach 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.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Second-tier club the Robins – owned by islander Steve Lansdown – had been tracking his early progress after an impressive beginning in men’s football and gave him a try-out in late 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” recalled Scott. “Day one I trained with the youth team, the second day I was with the senior squad, which was a complete shock.
“On the Wednesday I played for his local side in the capital, travelled back and by Friday, I took the field for the youth team and netted a hat-trick. It was almost a certainty for me to sign a deal.”
Within a year and a half, even well before his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut against Luton.
He made 83 league appearances for the club while in his teens, frequently being deployed as a wide defender – and occasionally further forward as a number 10 – demonstrating his versatility and versatility. Despite his youth and playing out of position he was their best player.
Thanks to his skill to carry the ball up the pitch, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and national team attacking midfielder Jack Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he claimed the second tier’s best young player award, was selected in the league’s best XI and was named the club’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I think he’ll play for England and I think he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the sport,” his former manager, the player’s boss at the club, remarked previously.
Less than 90 days later, he signed for Bournemouth for a reported fee of £25m.
Getting his major transfer
The midfielder experienced a challenging first season with the club, having to wait until October to make his top-flight debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then finding himself inconsistent of the team.
His following season was just as disrupted, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for nearly several months.
“There was quite a good run at the end of the previous campaign, which was good to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained Scott.
“That felt like yet another setback and it was shaping up as quite a terrible start for the first half.”
But he was then called up by England for the U21 Euros – and succeeded in regain fitness for the tournament.
He started five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they claimed victory in the tournament in Slovakia, forming a formidable understanding in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who himself has gone on to impress for the senior side under the national coach.
And he has begun this season just as strongly for Bournemouth, featuring in all matches to help them to the top five in the standings.
“To play for the England senior team would be one of the proudest moments of my life,” the player stated earlier this season.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to keep progressing as a footballer, keep enjoying the game, improving every day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the national coach and get my chance.”
