When Alex Scott stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his coach back then assured, “there’s more to come from this youngster.”
That statement proved to be something of an underestimation.
Now 22 years old and an established top-flight player with Bournemouth, the midfielder has just received his first summons to the full Three Lions squad.
His rise from eighth-tier talent to potential international star is a true blast from the past, a journey rarely told in the modern era.
Next stop? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was no chance of becoming a pro footballer, let alone playing in the Premier League and representing the national team too,” Scott stated previously.
“It has been a crazy five or six years of my life, and things have changed drastically for me and my loved ones.”
But in what way did Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, end up at this level?
Learning in the lower tiers
Scott’s football journey has been far from a conventional one.
He spent four and a half years in the Saints’ academy setup from the age of eight, leaving school early each Friday to fly from his island home on the Channel Island to the mainland so he could attend training and play for the club’s academy sides.
Before his 13th birthday, however, they released him. The Cherries were willing to offer him an option and he remained with them for a time, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he chose to stay on Guernsey and turn out for his local team.
“My form had dipped and traveling weekly was becoming overwhelming,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to relax at my home with my friends at the weekend because I missed almost several years of doing that. To have that little bit of childhood back was a thing I really required.
“To gain a bit of confidence by returning and taking part in local football was massive for me. It was perhaps one of the most important things that got me where I am today.”
At the age of 16, Scott became the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a 57th-minute substitute in their Isthmian League match at the opposition.
“I’ve been having trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the side because he’s that good,” Guernsey boss the coach commented back then.
“People have witnessed that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the manner he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”
Returning to the professional game
Second-tier club the Robins – owned by islander Steve Lansdown – had been tracking his early progress after an impressive start in men’s football and arranged a trial in late 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” said the player. “The first day I joined the under-18s, the next day I trained with the senior squad, which was a total surprise.
“On the Wednesday I played for Guernsey FC in the capital, travelled back and on the Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and netted a three goals. It was almost a certainty for me to sign a contract.”
In just 18 months, even well before his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut against Luton.
He went on to make eighty-three league outings for the Robins while in his teens, often being deployed as a wide defender – and sometimes further forward as a number 10 – such was his adaptability and versatility. Even at that young age and playing out of position he was their best player.
Thanks to his ability to carry the ball up the pitch, 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.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he won the second tier’s best young player honour, was chosen in the league’s best XI and was named Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.
“Without question, I think he will represent his country and I’m sure he’ll go on to the top of the game,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s boss at the club, remarked last year.
Less than three months later, he joined the Cherries for a understood transfer fee of 25 million pounds.
Securing his big move
Scott experienced a difficult first season with the club, having to wait until the autumn to make his top-flight debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then being in and out of the team.
His following season was equally disrupted, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for almost four 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 almost another setback and it was shaping up as a pretty bad year for the first half.”
But he was then selected by England for the Under-21 European Championships – and managed to regain fitness for the tournament.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they claimed victory in the tournament in Slovakia, forming a formidable understanding in the middle with his teammate, who himself has excelled for the first team under the national coach.
And he has started this season just as strongly for his club, playing in all matches to guide them to fifth in the table.
“Representing the England senior team would be among the most special moments of my life,” Scott said recently.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to continue developing as a footballer, keep enjoying the game, improving day on day, and with luck I impress the England manager and earn an opportunity.”
