Back when Alex Scott made his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports before just 55 spectators in 2019, his coach back then assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
This statement turned out to be something of an underestimation.
Today 22 years old and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the playmaker has earned his maiden call-up to the full Three Lions team.
His ascent from eighth-tier talent to possible international star is a true throwback, a story seldom told in the modern game.
Next stop? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was no chance of making it as a professional football player, let alone featuring in the Premier League and playing for the national team too,” the player said in a recent interview.
“It has been a incredible five or six years of my life, and circumstances have changed drastically for me and my loved ones.”
So in what way did Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself at this level?
Developing in the lower tiers
His path in football has not been a typical one.
He was part of over four years in Southampton’s academy setup from the age of eight, skipping school every Friday to fly from his home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could train and feature for the club’s academy sides.
Before he turned 13, though, they decided to let him go. The Cherries were willing to offer Scott an opportunity and he was on the Cherries’ books for a time, but, as he later admitted, his heart was not in it.
Instead, he chose to remain on Guernsey and turn out for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling weekly was starting to feel a bit too much,” he explained.
“I just wanted to chill at my home with my friends at the weekend because I missed nearly several years of doing that. To have that slice of childhood again was something I definitely needed.
“To gain some confidence by coming back and taking part in island football was huge for me. That proved to be probably the most crucial factors that got me to this point.”
At the age of 16, the teenager became the most youthful appearance-maker in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a second-half substitute in their Isthmian League match at Phoenix Sports.
“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could include him in the side because he’s that good,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance commented at the time.
“Everyone’s now seen 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 – chaired by islander their owner – had been tracking Scott’s early progress after an promising start in men’s football and gave him a try-out in December 2019.
“It was hectic,” recalled the player. “The first day I joined the under-18s, the next day I trained with the first team, which was a total shock.
“On the Wednesday I played for Guernsey FC in the capital, travelled back and by Friday, I took the field for Bristol City Under-18s and netted a hat-trick. It was almost a done deal for me to put pen to paper on a contract.”
Within 18 months, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut versus the Hatters.
He made eighty-three league appearances for the Robins while still a teenager, frequently being deployed as a wide defender – and occasionally in attack as a number 10 – demonstrating his versatility and flexibility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was their best player.
With his ability to carry the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to City and England attacking midfielder Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he claimed the second tier’s young player of the season award, was selected in the league’s best XI and was voted the club’s player and young player of the Year.
“No doubt, I believe he will represent his country and I’m sure he will progress to the top of the game,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s manager at the club, remarked last year.
Less than three months later, he joined Bournemouth for a understood transfer fee of £25m.
Getting his major transfer
The midfielder endured a difficult first season with the club, having to wait until the autumn to make his Premier League debut after a knee problem in the summer, and then finding himself inconsistent of the starting XI.
His following season was just as affected, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for nearly several months.
“I had quite a good run at the end of the previous campaign, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained he.
“It was almost another obstacle and the year was turning out to be a pretty bad start for the first five months.”
But he was then called up by England for the U21 Euros – and succeeded in regain fitness in time.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six games as they went on to win the tournament in the host nation, forming a strong partnership in the middle with his teammate, who in turn has excelled for the first team under Thomas Tuchel.
And he has started this season just as impressively for his club, playing in all matches to guide them to fifth in the standings.
“To play for the England senior team would be one of the proudest occasions of my career,” the player said recently.
“It’s down to me, I must continue developing as a player, keep enjoying football, improving day on day, and hopefully I impress the national coach and get my chance.”
