When the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 fans in 2019, his manager at the time predicted, “there’s more to come from this youngster.”
That statement turned out to be something of an understatement.
Today 22 years old and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the midfielder has just received his first summons to the full England team.
His rise from non-league prodigy to possible international star is a proper throwback, a journey rarely seen in the modern game.
What’s next? A major tournament?
“In my mind, there was zero possibility of becoming a pro footballer, let alone playing in the Premier League and playing for England too,” Scott stated in a recent interview.
“It has been a crazy five or six years of my life, and circumstances have changed drastically for me and my loved ones.”
So in what way did Alex Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself here?
Developing in non-league
Scott’s football journey has not been a conventional one.
He was part of four and a half years in Southampton’s 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 train and play for the Saints’ youth teams.
Prior to he turned 13, however, they decided to let him go. The Cherries were willing to offer Scott an opportunity and he remained with them 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 local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling every week was becoming overwhelming,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to relax at my home with my friends at the weekend because I had missed nearly several years of doing that. To have that little bit of youth back was a thing I definitely needed.
“To gain a bit of self-belief by coming back and taking part in local football was massive for me. It was probably one of the most important things that led 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 replacement in their league match at Phoenix Sports.
“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could include him in the side because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss the coach stated back then.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his retention of the ball is exceptional, the manner he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Making a comeback to the pro ranks
Second-tier club the Robins – owned by Guernsey resident their owner – had been monitoring his development after an promising beginning in adult football and arranged a try-out in late 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” said the player. “Day one I joined the under-18s, the next day I was with the first team, which was a total surprise.
“Midweek I featured for his local side in the capital, returned home and by Friday, I took the field for Bristol City Under-18s and netted a three goals. From that point a done deal for me to put pen to paper on a contract.”
In just a year and a half, even well before his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut against the Hatters.
Scott went on to make 83 league appearances for the Robins while in his teens, often being deployed as a wing-back – and sometimes further forward as a number 10 – such was his versatility and flexibility. Despite his youth and playing out of position he was their best player.
Thanks to his ability 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 season he won the EFL Championship’s best young player honour, was selected in the league’s best XI and was named the club’s top player and top youngster.
“No doubt, I think he will represent England and I think he’ll go on to the top of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s boss at the club, remarked last year.
Less than 90 days later, he signed for Bournemouth for a understood transfer fee of £25m.
Getting his big move
Scott experienced a difficult debut campaign with the Cherries, having to wait until the autumn to earn his top-flight debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then finding himself in and out of the team.
His second campaign was equally disrupted, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for almost four months.
“There was quite a good run at the end of last season, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained Scott.
“It was almost another setback and the year was turning out to be quite a terrible year for the first five months.”
But he was then selected 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 matches as they went on to win the competition in Slovakia, forming a formidable partnership in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has excelled for the senior side under Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started this season just as impressively for his club, featuring in all matches to guide them to the top five in the standings.
“Representing the national team would be one of the proudest occasions of my life,” the player said recently.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to continue developing as a player, keep enjoying the game, getting better every day, and with luck I catch the eye of the England manager and earn an opportunity.”
