When the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 fans in 2019, his manager at the time predicted, “there’s more to come from this youngster.”
That prediction turned out to be something of an understatement.
Now 22 years old and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the playmaker has earned his maiden call-up to the full England squad.
His rise from eighth-tier talent to potential international star is a true blast from the past, a journey rarely seen in the modern era.
Next stop? The World Cup?
“Back then, there was zero possibility of becoming a pro footballer, never mind playing in the Premier League and playing for the national team as well,” the player stated in a recent interview.
“It has been a crazy five or six years of my life, and circumstances have changed drastically for myself and my loved ones.”
So in what way did Alex Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, end up at this level?
Developing in the lower tiers
His path in football has been far from a typical one.
He spent four and a half years in Southampton’s youth system from the age of eight, skipping school every Friday to travel by air from his home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could attend training and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.
Before he turned 13, though, they decided to let him go. Bournemouth gave him an opportunity and he remained with them for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind was not in it.
Instead, he opted to remain on Guernsey and turn out for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling weekly was becoming a bit too much,” he explained.
“All I desired to relax at home with my friends at weekends because I missed nearly several years of doing that. To have that little bit of childhood again was something I really required.
“Building a bit of self-belief by returning and playing island football was huge for me. That proved to be probably the most crucial factors that led me where I am today.”
When he was just 16, the teenager became the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he came on as a 57th-minute substitute in their league match at the opposition.
“I’ve been having trouble sleeping because I was figuring out how I could include him in the side because his talent is obvious,” manager the coach stated back then.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the way he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Returning to the pro ranks
Championship side Bristol City – chaired by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring his development after an promising start in men’s football and gave him a try-out in late 2019.
“It was chaos,” recalled the player. “Day one I joined the youth team, the next day I trained with the first team, which was a complete surprise.
“Midweek I played for his local side in the capital, returned home and on the Friday, I played for the youth team and scored a three goals. From that point a done deal for me to put pen to paper on a deal.”
Within a year and a half, even well before his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut against the Hatters.
He made 83 league appearances for the Robins while in his teens, often being deployed as a wing-back – and occasionally in attack as a number 10 – demonstrating his versatility and flexibility. Despite his youth and playing out of position he was their best player.
With his ability to drive the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to City and England playmaker Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the EFL Championship’s young player of the season honour, was chosen in the division’s team of the year and was named Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.
“No doubt, I think he will represent England and I’m sure he will progress to the top of the game,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s manager at Ashton Gate, remarked previously.
Within three months after, he signed for the Cherries for a understood fee of £25m.
Getting his big move
The midfielder endured a difficult debut campaign with the club, waiting until October to earn his Premier League debut after a knee problem in the summer, and then being in and out of the team.
His second campaign was just as disrupted, this time by a surgery which ruled him out for nearly four months.
“I had a decent run at the close of last season, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained he.
“It was almost another setback and the year was shaping up as a pretty bad start for the first half.”
But he was then called up by the national team for the Under-21 European Championships – and managed to regain fitness in time.
He started five of the Young Lions’ six games as they went on to win the tournament in the host nation, developing a formidable 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 begun this season equally as strongly for Bournemouth, playing in every game to guide them to fifth in the standings.
“To play for the national team would be among the most special moments of my life,” the player stated recently.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to keep progressing as a footballer, keep enjoying football, improving every day, and hopefully I impress the England manager and earn an opportunity.”
