When the young midfielder made his local team debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 fans in 2019, his coach back then assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”
This statement proved to be a bit of an underestimation.
Now aged 22 and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the midfielder has just received his first summons to the senior England squad.
His rise from non-league prodigy to possible international star is a true blast from the past, a journey seldom told in the modern era.
What’s next? A major tournament?
“Back then, there was no chance of becoming a professional football player, let alone playing in the top division and playing for England too,” Scott stated previously.
“It’s been a crazy five or six years of my life, and things have transformed drastically for myself and my family.”
But in what way did Alex Scott, known affectionately as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, end up here?
Learning in non-league
Scott’s path in football has been far from a conventional one.
He was part of four and a half years in the Saints’ youth system from the age of eight, leaving school early each Friday to travel by air from his home on the Channel Island to the mainland so he could attend training and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.
Before he turned 13, though, they released him. The Cherries gave him an opportunity and he remained with them for a time, but, as he later admitted, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Rather, he chose to remain on the island and turn out for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and traveling weekly was becoming a bit too much,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to chill at my home with my friends at the weekend because I had missed nearly four and a half years of doing that. Getting that little bit of youth again was a thing I really required.
“To gain some self-belief by coming back and playing island football was huge for me. That proved to be probably the most crucial factors that led me to this point.”
At the age of 16, Scott made history as the youngest player in the club’s records when he came on as a second-half substitute in their league match at Phoenix Sports.
“I had trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could include him in the team because he’s that good,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance stated at the time.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the way he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”
Returning to the professional game
Championship side the Robins – owned by islander their owner – had been tracking Scott’s development after an impressive beginning in adult football and arranged a trial in late 2019.
“It was hectic,” said the player. “The first day I joined the under-18s, the second day I was with the first team, which was a complete shock.
“Midweek I played for his local side in London, returned home and on the Friday, I played for the youth team and scored a three goals. It was almost a certainty for me to sign a contract.”
In just 18 months, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his first-team debut versus Luton.
Scott went on to make 83 league outings for the Robins while in his teens, frequently being deployed as a wide defender – and sometimes further forward as a number 10 – such was his versatility and versatility. Even at that young age and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
Thanks to his skill to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to City and national team attacking midfielder 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 league’s best XI 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 will progress to the top of the game,” his former manager, Scott’s boss at the club, stated last year.
Within 90 days later, he joined Bournemouth for a reported fee of £25m.
Getting his big move
The midfielder experienced a challenging first season with the club, having to wait until the autumn to earn his Premier League debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then finding himself in and out of the starting XI.
His second campaign was equally disrupted, this time by a surgery which ruled him out for almost four months.
“There was quite a good run at the end of last season, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” said he.
“It was almost another obstacle and the year was shaping up as quite a terrible start for the first five months.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the U21 Euros – and succeeded in get himself fit in time.
He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six games as they went on to win the tournament in Slovakia, forming a formidable partnership in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has excelled for the first team under the national coach.
And he has begun this season just as impressively for Bournemouth, playing in all matches to help them to the top five in the table.
“Representing the national team would be one of the proudest moments of my career,” Scott said recently.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to continue developing as a player, maintain my love for the game, getting better every day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the national coach and earn an opportunity.”
