When Alex Scott stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 spectators in 2019, his coach at the time assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”
This prediction proved to be a bit of an understatement.
Now 22 years old and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the playmaker has just received his first call-up to the senior England squad.
His rise from eighth-tier talent to possible international star is a true blast from the past, a story rarely seen in the modern era.
What’s next? A major tournament?
“Back then, there was no chance of making it as a pro footballer, never mind playing in the top division and representing England as well,” the player stated in a recent interview.
“It’s been a crazy half-dozen years of my life, and things have changed completely for myself and my loved ones.”
But how did Alex Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself here?
Developing in the lower tiers
His path in football has been far from a typical one.
He was part of over four years in the Saints’ academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early every Friday to fly from his home on the Channel Island to the south coast so he could train and play for the Saints’ youth teams.
Before he turned 13, however, they released him. The Cherries were willing to offer him an option and he remained with them for a time, but, as he later admitted, his mind was not in it.
Rather, he opted to stay on the island and play for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and flying over weekly was becoming a bit too much,” he explained.
“All I desired to relax at home with my mates at the weekend because I had missed almost several years of doing that. Getting that little bit of youth again was something I definitely required.
“Building a bit of confidence by coming back and taking part in island football was massive for me. That proved to be perhaps the most crucial factors that led me to this point.”
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 Isthmian League fixture at Phoenix Sports.
“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could get him in the side because he’s that good,” manager Tony Vance stated back then.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is exceptional, the manner he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”
Making a comeback to the professional game
Championship side Bristol City – chaired by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been tracking Scott’s development after an impressive beginning in adult football and arranged a trial in late 2019.
“It was chaos,” said Scott. “Day one I joined the under-18s, the next day I trained with the first team, which was a complete surprise.
“Midweek I played for his local side in London, 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 sign a contract.”
In just 18 months, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut against Luton.
Scott made eighty-three league appearances for the club while still a teenager, frequently being used as a wing-back – and occasionally further forward as a attacking midfielder – demonstrating his versatility and flexibility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was their best player.
Thanks to his skill to carry the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and national team attacking midfielder Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he won the EFL Championship’s young player of the season honour, was chosen in the division’s team of the year and was named the club’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I think he will represent his country and I’m sure he’ll go on to the top of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s boss at Ashton Gate, remarked last year.
Within three months after, he signed for the Cherries for a understood fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his big move
The midfielder endured a challenging debut campaign with the club, having to wait until the autumn to earn his Premier League debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then finding himself in and out of the team.
His second campaign was just as affected, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for nearly several months.
“There was a decent run at the close of the previous campaign, which was good to have, then I fractured my jaw,” said Scott.
“It was yet another setback and it was turning out to be a pretty bad year for the first half.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the U21 Euros – and managed to get himself fit in time.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they went on to win the tournament in Slovakia, forming a formidable understanding in the middle with his teammate, who in turn has gone on to impress for the senior side under Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started the current campaign equally as impressively for his club, featuring in every game to guide them to the top five in the standings.
“Representing the national team would be one of the proudest occasions of my career,” Scott said recently.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to keep progressing as a footballer, keep enjoying the game, improving day on day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the national coach and get my chance.”
