When Alex Scott stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 fans in 2019, his manager back then predicted, “we haven’t seen the best from this youngster.”
That prediction turned out to be something of an understatement.
Today aged 22 and an established top-flight player with Bournemouth, the playmaker has just received his first summons to the full Three Lions squad.
His ascent from eighth-tier talent to potential England player is a proper throwback, a journey seldom seen in the modern game.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“Back then, there was zero possibility of becoming a professional football player, never mind featuring in the top division and playing for the national team as well,” the player stated previously.
“It’s been a incredible half-dozen years of my life, and things have changed drastically for myself and my family.”
So in what way did Scott, known fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up here?
Developing in non-league
His path in football has not been a typical one.
He was part of four and a half years in the Saints’ youth system starting at eight, skipping school each Friday to travel by air from his home on Guernsey to the south coast 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 gave 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 chose to remain on the island and play for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and traveling every week was starting to feel overwhelming,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to relax at home with my mates at weekends because I had missed nearly several years of that experience. Getting that slice of childhood back was something I definitely needed.
“To gain a bit of confidence by returning and taking part in local football was huge for me. It was perhaps the most crucial factors that got me to this point.”
At the age of 16, the teenager became the youngest player in the club’s records when he was introduced as a 57th-minute substitute in their Isthmian League match at Phoenix Sports.
“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 commented back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the way he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”
Making a comeback to the professional game
Championship side the Robins – chaired by islander Steve Lansdown – had been tracking Scott’s development after an promising beginning in men’s football and gave him a trial in December 2019.
“The whole experience was chaos,” said the player. “The first day I trained with the under-18s, the next day I trained with the first team, which was a total shock.
“On the Wednesday I played for Guernsey FC in London, returned home and on the Friday, I took the field for Bristol City Under-18s and netted a three goals. From that point a done deal for me to sign a contract.”
In just 18 months, even well before his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut against Luton.
He went on to make 83 league outings for the Robins while in his teens, frequently being deployed as a wing-back – and sometimes 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.
Thanks to his ability to drive 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 playmaker Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he won the EFL Championship’s young player of the season award, was chosen in the league’s team of the year and was voted the club’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I think he will represent his country and I think he will progress to the top of the game,” his former manager, Scott’s boss at Ashton Gate, stated previously.
Less than 90 days later, he signed for the Cherries for a reported fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his big move
Scott endured a challenging first season with the Cherries, having to wait until the autumn to make his Premier League debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then finding himself inconsistent of the team.
His second campaign was equally affected, this time by a surgery which ruled him out for nearly four months.
“There was a decent run at the end of last season, which was good to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained Scott.
“That felt like yet another setback and the year was shaping up as quite a terrible year for the first five months.”
But he was then called up by England for the U21 Euros – and succeeded in get himself fit for the tournament.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six games as they went on to win the competition in the host nation, forming a formidable partnership in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who himself has gone on to impress for the senior side with the national coach.
And he has started this season equally as impressively for his club, featuring in every game to help them to the top five in the table.
“Representing the national team would be among the most special occasions of my career,” Scott said recently.
“The responsibility is mine, I must continue developing as a footballer, maintain my love for football, getting better every day, and hopefully I impress the England manager and get my chance.”
