Back when Alex Scott made his local team debut against Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 fans in 2019, his coach back then assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
That statement proved to be a bit of an understatement.
Now aged 22 and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the midfielder has earned his maiden call-up to the full Three Lions squad.
His ascent from non-league prodigy to possible England player is a proper blast from the past, a journey rarely told in the modern game.
Next stop? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was no chance of making it as a professional football player, let alone playing in the top division and representing England too,” the player stated in a recent interview.
“It’s been a crazy five or six years of my life, and things have changed drastically for me and my loved ones.”
So how did Alex Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, end up here?
Developing in non-league
Scott’s path in football has been far from a conventional one.
He was part of four and a half years in the Saints’ academy setup starting at eight, skipping school every Friday to fly from his island home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could train and play for the club’s academy sides.
Prior to his 13th birthday, though, they decided to let him go. The Cherries were willing to offer him an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, as he later admitted, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Instead, he chose to remain on the island and play for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and flying over every week was becoming overwhelming,” he explained.
“I just wanted to relax at home with my friends at weekends because I missed nearly four and a half years of that experience. To have that little bit of youth back was a thing I definitely needed.
“Building some self-belief by returning and playing island football was massive for me. That proved to be perhaps one of the most important things that led me where I am today.”
When he was just 16, the teenager made history as the most youthful appearance-maker in the club’s records when he came on as a second-half replacement 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 his talent is obvious,” manager the coach stated at the time.
“People have witnessed that – his possession of the ball is exceptional, the manner he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”
Returning to the professional game
Second-tier club the Robins – chaired by islander their owner – had been tracking his development after an impressive beginning in adult football and gave him a try-out in December 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” said the player. “Day one I trained with the youth team, the second day I was with the senior squad, which was a total shock.
“On the Wednesday I played for Guernsey FC in the capital, returned home and by Friday, I played for the youth team and netted a hat-trick. It was almost a done deal for me to sign a contract.”
Within a year and a half, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut against Luton.
Scott went on to make eighty-three league outings for the Robins while in his teens, often being used as a wing-back – and sometimes further forward as a attacking midfielder – demonstrating his versatility and versatility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
Thanks to his skill to carry the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he picked up the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and national team attacking midfielder Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he claimed the second tier’s best young player honour, was chosen in the league’s best XI and was named the club’s player and young player of the Year.
“Without question, I think he’ll play for his country and I’m sure he will progress to the top of the sport,” his former manager, Scott’s manager at the club, remarked previously.
Within 90 days later, he signed for the Cherries for a understood transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his major transfer
The midfielder experienced a challenging debut campaign with the Cherries, having to wait until October to earn his Premier League debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then being inconsistent of the starting XI.
His second campaign was equally disrupted, this time by a surgery which ruled him out for nearly several months.
“There was quite a good run at the close of last season, which was good to have, then I fractured my jaw,” said he.
“It was almost another setback and it was shaping up as quite a terrible start for the first five months.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the Under-21 European Championships – and succeeded in regain fitness for the tournament.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six games as they claimed victory in the tournament in Slovakia, forming a strong understanding in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has gone on to impress for the first team under the national coach.
And he has started the current campaign just as strongly for Bournemouth, playing in every game to help them to fifth in the standings.
“Representing the national team would be among the most special occasions of my career,” the player said recently.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to keep progressing as a footballer, maintain my love for the game, getting better every day, and with luck I impress the England manager and get my chance.”
