When Alex Scott made his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 spectators in 2019, his coach back then assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
That prediction proved to be something of an understatement.
Today aged 22 and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the midfielder has just received his first summons to the full Three Lions team.
His rise from non-league prodigy to possible international star is a proper throwback, a journey rarely seen in the modern era.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was no chance of making it as a pro footballer, let alone playing in the top division and representing England as well,” Scott said previously.
“It’s been a incredible half-dozen years of my life, and things have changed completely for me and my loved ones.”
But in what way did Scott, known affectionately as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself here?
Learning in the lower tiers
Scott’s football journey has been far from a typical one.
He spent over four years in Southampton’s academy setup from the age of eight, skipping school each Friday to fly from his home on the Channel Island to the mainland so he could train and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.
Before he turned 13, however, they decided to let him go. Bournemouth were willing to offer him an opportunity and he remained with them for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he opted to remain on Guernsey and turn out for his local team.
“My form had dipped and flying over weekly was starting to feel overwhelming,” he explained.
“I just wanted to relax at home with my mates at weekends because I had missed almost several years of doing that. To have that little bit of youth again was something I definitely needed.
“To gain some confidence by coming back and playing local football was massive for me. That proved to be perhaps one of the most important factors that led me to this point.”
When he was just 16, Scott became the youngest player in the club’s records when he came on as a 57th-minute replacement in their league fixture at Phoenix Sports.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could include him in the team because he’s that good,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance stated at the time.
“People have witnessed that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the way he runs with the ball, he’s a class act.”
Making a comeback to the professional game
Championship side the Robins – chaired by islander their owner – had been monitoring his early progress after an promising start in men’s football and gave him a trial in December 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” recalled the player. “The first day I joined the youth team, the second day I trained with the first team, which was a complete surprise.
“On the Wednesday I featured 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 certainty for me to sign a deal.”
Within a year and a half, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut versus the Hatters.
Scott went on to make 83 league outings for the Robins while in his teens, often being deployed as a wing-back – and occasionally further forward as a attacking midfielder – such was his adaptability and versatility. Even at that young age and playing out of position he was their best player.
Thanks to his skill to carry the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and England attacking midfielder Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 season he won the second tier’s best young player award, was selected 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 England and I think he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s boss at the club, remarked last year.
Less than 90 days later, he signed for the Cherries for a understood transfer fee of £25m.
Securing his major transfer
The midfielder endured a difficult debut campaign with the club, waiting until the autumn to make his Premier League debut after a knee problem in the summer, and then finding himself in and out of the team.
His second campaign was equally disrupted, this time by a knee operation which ruled him out for almost four months.
“There was a decent run at the close of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained he.
“That felt like almost another obstacle and the year was turning out to be a pretty bad start for the first half.”
But he was then called up by the national team for the U21 Euros – and succeeded in regain fitness in time.
He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six games as they claimed victory in the tournament in Slovakia, forming a strong understanding in the middle with his teammate, who himself has gone on to impress for the first team with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has begun this season just as impressively for his club, playing in every game to guide them to the top five in the standings.
“To play for the England senior team would be one of the proudest moments of my life,” Scott said earlier this season.
“It’s down to me, I must keep progressing as a player, maintain my love for football, getting better day on day, and with luck I impress the national coach and get my chance.”
