When Alex Scott stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his manager at the time assured, “there’s more to come from this youngster.”
That statement turned out to be a bit of an underestimation.
Now aged 22 and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the playmaker has earned his first summons to the full Three Lions team.
His ascent from eighth-tier talent to potential England player is a proper throwback, a story seldom told in the modern era.
Next stop? A major tournament?
“Back then, there was no chance of making it as a pro footballer, let alone playing in the Premier League and representing the national team as well,” Scott said previously.
“It has been a crazy five or six years of my life, and circumstances have changed completely for me and my loved ones.”
So how did Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself here?
Learning in non-league
His path in football has not been a conventional one.
He was part of over four years in Southampton’s youth system starting at eight, leaving school early every Friday to fly from his home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could attend training and play for the Saints’ youth teams.
Prior to he turned 13, though, they decided to let him go. The Cherries were willing to offer him an opportunity and he remained with them for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart was not in it.
Instead, he opted to remain on the island and play for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and traveling every week was becoming a bit too much,” he explained.
“I just wanted to relax at my home with my mates at weekends because I missed almost several years of doing that. Getting that little bit of youth back was something I definitely needed.
“Building a bit of self-belief by coming back and playing local football was huge for me. It was perhaps one of the most important factors that led 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 substitute in their Isthmian League match at the opposition.
“I had sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could get him in the side because he’s that good,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance stated back then.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is exceptional, the manner he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Returning to the professional game
Second-tier club the Robins – chaired by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring his development after an impressive start in adult football and arranged a try-out in late 2019.
“The whole experience was chaos,” said Scott. “Day one I trained with the youth team, the next day I was with the first team, which was a complete surprise.
“Midweek I featured for Guernsey FC in London, returned home and by Friday, I played for the youth team and scored a hat-trick. From that point a done deal for me to sign a contract.”
In just 18 months, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut against Luton.
He went on to make eighty-three league outings for the Robins while still a teenager, often being deployed as a wing-back – and occasionally further forward as a attacking midfielder – such was his versatility and flexibility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was their best player.
With his skill to carry the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he picked up the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and England attacking midfielder Jack Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 season he won the EFL Championship’s best young player award, was selected in the league’s team of the year and was voted Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I believe he will represent England and I think he’ll go on to the top of the sport,” his former manager, Scott’s boss at Ashton Gate, remarked last year.
Less than 90 days later, he joined Bournemouth for a reported fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his major transfer
Scott endured a challenging first season with the Cherries, waiting until October to earn his Premier League debut after a knee problem in the summer, and then finding himself in and out of the starting XI.
His second campaign was just as affected, this time by a knee operation which ruled him out 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,” said Scott.
“That felt like yet another setback and it was shaping up as a pretty bad start for the first five months.”
But he was then selected by England for the U21 Euros – and succeeded in get himself fit in time.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six games as they claimed victory in the competition in Slovakia, developing a strong partnership in midfield with his teammate, who himself has gone on to impress for the first team under the national coach.
And he has started this season equally as strongly for his club, playing in all matches to help them to the top five in the standings.
“Representing the England senior team would be among the most special occasions of my career,” the player stated recently.
“The responsibility is mine, I must continue developing as a footballer, keep enjoying football, improving day on day, and with luck I impress the England manager and get my chance.”
