When Alex Scott made his local team debut against Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 fans in 2019, his coach back then predicted, “there’s more to come from this youngster.”
That prediction proved to be a bit of an understatement.
Today aged 22 and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the midfielder has earned his first summons to the senior England squad.
His rise from eighth-tier talent to possible England player is a proper throwback, a journey seldom seen 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 playing for the national team as well,” the player stated previously.
“It has been a incredible five or six years of my life, and circumstances have changed completely for me and my loved ones.”
So how did Scott, known fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up here?
Learning in the lower tiers
Scott’s football journey has been far from a typical one.
He was part of over four years in the Saints’ academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early each Friday to fly from his island home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could train and feature for the club’s academy sides.
Before his 13th birthday, though, they released him. Bournemouth gave him an opportunity and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, as he later admitted, his heart wasn’t fully committed.
Instead, he opted to remain on the island and play for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over weekly was becoming a bit too much,” he recalled.
“All I desired 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 youth again was a thing I really required.
“Building some confidence by returning and taking part in local football was massive for me. That proved to be probably the most crucial things that led me to this point.”
At the age of 16, the teenager became the most youthful appearance-maker in the club’s records when he came on as a 57th-minute substitute in their league match at the opposition.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was figuring out how I could include him in the team because he’s that good,” Guernsey boss the coach stated at the time.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is exceptional, the way he runs with the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Returning to the professional game
Championship side Bristol City – chaired by islander their owner – had been monitoring Scott’s early progress after an impressive start in adult football and gave him a trial in late 2019.
“It was chaos,” 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 his local side in London, returned home and by Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and scored a hat-trick. From that point a certainty for me to put pen to paper on a contract.”
In just 18 months, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his first-team debut versus the Hatters.
He made 83 league appearances for the club while in his teens, often being used as a wide defender – and sometimes further forward as a attacking midfielder – such was his versatility and versatility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
With his skill to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he picked up the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a nod to City and England playmaker Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 campaign he won the second tier’s young player of the season honour, was selected in the league’s best XI and was named Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“No doubt, I think he will represent his country and I think he will progress to the pinnacle of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s boss at the club, remarked previously.
Less than 90 days later, he joined the Cherries for a understood fee of £25m.
Securing his major transfer
Scott experienced a challenging first season with the Cherries, waiting until the autumn to earn his Premier League debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then finding himself inconsistent of the starting XI.
His following season was just as affected, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for nearly several months.
“I had quite a good run at the end of last season, which was good to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained he.
“It was almost another setback and the year was turning out to be quite a terrible start for the first half.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the Under-21 European Championships – and managed to get himself fit for the tournament.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six games as they claimed victory in the tournament in Slovakia, developing a formidable partnership in midfield with his teammate, who himself has gone on to impress for the senior side with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started this season equally as strongly for Bournemouth, featuring in all matches to guide 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 said recently.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to keep progressing as a footballer, maintain my love for the game, improving day on day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the England manager and get my chance.”
