When the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his coach at the time predicted, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”
That prediction proved to be something of an underestimation.
Now aged 22 and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the midfielder has earned his first call-up to the full England team.
His ascent from non-league prodigy to possible England player is a proper blast from the past, a story seldom seen in the modern game.
Next stop? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was no chance of becoming a professional football player, let alone playing in the top division and representing the national team too,” the player said previously.
“It has been a crazy half-dozen years of my life, and circumstances have transformed completely for myself and my loved ones.”
But how did Alex Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself at this level?
Learning in the lower tiers
Scott’s football journey has not been a typical one.
He was part of over four years in Southampton’s youth system from the age of eight, leaving school early every Friday to travel by air from his home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could attend training and play for the club’s academy sides.
Before his 13th birthday, however, they decided to let him go. Bournemouth gave him an opportunity and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, as he later admitted, his mind was not in it.
Rather, he chose to stay on the island and turn out for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and traveling weekly was becoming a bit too much,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to chill at my home with my friends at the weekend because I had missed nearly several years of that experience. Getting that slice of childhood back was something I definitely required.
“To gain a bit of self-belief by returning and taking part in local football was huge for me. That proved to be perhaps the most crucial factors that led me to this point.”
When he was just 16, Scott made history as the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he came on as a 57th-minute replacement in their Isthmian League fixture at Phoenix Sports.
“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could include him in the team because he’s that good,” manager Tony Vance commented at the time.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is exceptional, the way he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”
Making a comeback to the pro ranks
Second-tier club the Robins – chaired by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring Scott’s development after an promising start in men’s football and arranged a trial in late 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” recalled Scott. “The first day I joined the youth team, the second day I was with the senior squad, which was a total surprise.
“Midweek I featured for his local side in the capital, travelled back and on the Friday, I played for the youth team and scored a three goals. It was almost a certainty for me to sign a deal.”
Within 18 months, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut against Luton.
Scott made 83 league outings for the Robins while still a teenager, frequently being used as a wide defender – and sometimes further forward as a attacking midfielder – such was his versatility and flexibility. Even at that young age and not in his natural role he was their best player.
With his skill to carry the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a nod to City and national team attacking midfielder Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 season he claimed the EFL Championship’s best young player honour, was selected in the league’s team of the year and was named the club’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I think he will represent his country and I think he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the sport,” his former manager, Scott’s manager at Ashton Gate, remarked previously.
Within three months later, he joined the Cherries for a understood transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing his big move
Scott endured a challenging first season with the Cherries, having to wait until October to make his top-flight debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then being in and out of the starting XI.
His second campaign was equally affected, this time by a knee operation which ruled him out for nearly four months.
“I had a decent run at the end of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” said he.
“It was almost another obstacle and the year was turning out to be a pretty bad start for the first five months.”
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 games as they went on to win the tournament in Slovakia, developing a formidable partnership in midfield with his teammate, who himself has gone on to impress for the senior side under the national coach.
And he has begun this season equally as impressively for his club, featuring in all matches to guide them to the top five in the standings.
“Representing the national team would be among the most special moments of my career,” the player said earlier this season.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to keep progressing as a player, maintain my love for football, getting better day on day, and hopefully I impress the national coach and get my chance.”
