Back when the young midfielder made his local team debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 spectators in 2019, his manager back then assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this youngster.”
This prediction turned out to be a bit of an understatement.
Today 22 years old and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the playmaker has earned his first summons to the full England team.
His ascent from eighth-tier talent to possible international star is a proper throwback, a story rarely seen in the modern era.
Next stop? A major tournament?
“Back then, there was zero possibility of becoming a pro footballer, never mind playing in the top division and playing for the national team too,” Scott stated previously.
“It has been a incredible five or six years of my life, and circumstances have changed completely for myself and my loved ones.”
So in what way did Alex Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself at this level?
Learning in the lower tiers
His path in football has not been a typical one.
He spent over four years in the Saints’ youth system starting at eight, skipping school every Friday to fly from his island home on the Channel Island to the mainland so he could attend training and feature for the club’s academy sides.
Prior to his 13th birthday, though, they released him. Bournemouth were willing to offer him an opportunity and he was on the Cherries’ books for a time, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Instead, he opted to stay on Guernsey and play for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and flying over every week was becoming overwhelming,” he recalled.
“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 little bit of childhood back was a thing I really required.
“Building a bit of self-belief by returning and playing island football was huge for me. It was perhaps the most crucial factors that got me where I am today.”
When he was just 16, the teenager made history as 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 had trouble sleeping because I was figuring out how I could include him in the team because his talent is obvious,” manager the coach commented at the time.
“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the way he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”
Making a comeback to the pro ranks
Championship side Bristol City – chaired by islander Steve Lansdown – had been tracking his early progress after an impressive start in men’s football and gave him a try-out in December 2019.
“It was hectic,” said the player. “Day one I joined the youth team, the next day I was with the first team, which was a complete surprise.
“Midweek I featured for Guernsey FC in the capital, returned home and by Friday, I took the field for the youth team and netted a three goals. It was almost a certainty for me to put pen to paper on a deal.”
In just 18 months, even well before his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut against the Hatters.
He went on to make 83 league appearances for the Robins while still a teenager, often being used as a wide defender – and occasionally further forward as a number 10 – such was his versatility and versatility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
With his ability to carry the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a nod to City and national team playmaker Jack Grealish.
At the end of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the second tier’s best young player award, was chosen in the division’s best XI and was voted the club’s player and young player of the Year.
“Without question, I believe he will represent England and I think he will progress to the pinnacle of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s boss at Ashton Gate, stated previously.
Less than 90 days later, he joined Bournemouth for a reported transfer fee of £25m.
Securing his big move
Scott experienced a difficult first season with the club, waiting until the autumn to make his Premier League debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then finding himself inconsistent of the starting XI.
His second campaign was just as affected, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for nearly several months.
“I had a decent run at the end of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” said he.
“It was yet another obstacle and it was shaping up as quite a terrible year for the first five months.”
But he was then selected by the national team for the Under-21 European Championships – and managed to regain fitness for the tournament.
He went on to start 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 his teammate, who himself has gone on to impress for the senior side with Thomas Tuchel.
And he has begun this season equally as impressively for his club, featuring in all matches to help them to the top five in the standings.
“To play for the national team would be one of the proudest occasions of my career,” Scott stated earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to keep progressing as a footballer, maintain my love for football, improving every day, and with luck I impress the England manager and get my chance.”
