When Alex Scott made his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 fans in 2019, his coach back then predicted, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”
This prediction turned out to be something of an understatement.
Today 22 years old and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the midfielder has just received his maiden summons to the senior Three Lions team.
His ascent from non-league prodigy to possible international star is a proper throwback, a story seldom seen in the modern game.
What’s next? The World Cup?
“In my mind, there was no chance of becoming a pro footballer, never mind playing in the top division and playing for England as well,” the player said previously.
“It’s been a crazy five or six years of my life, and things have transformed completely for me and my loved ones.”
So in what way did Scott, known affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up here?
Learning in the lower tiers
His football journey has been far from a typical one.
He spent over four years in the Saints’ youth system from the age of eight, skipping school every Friday to travel by air from his island home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could train and feature for the club’s academy sides.
Before his 13th birthday, though, they decided to let him go. The Cherries were willing to offer Scott an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, as he later admitted, his heart was not in it.
Rather, he opted to stay on the island and turn out for his local team.
“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over weekly was starting to feel a bit too much,” he recalled.
“I just wanted to chill at home with my friends at the weekend because I missed nearly four and a half years of that experience. Getting that little bit of childhood back was something I really needed.
“To gain a bit of confidence by coming back and playing island football was huge for me. That proved to be perhaps one of the most important things that led me to this point.”
At the age of 16, the teenager made history as the youngest player in the club’s records when he was introduced as a second-half replacement in their Isthmian League match at the opposition.
“I’ve been having trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the team because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance stated at the time.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is exceptional, the manner he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”
Making a comeback to the pro ranks
Championship side Bristol City – owned by islander their owner – had been monitoring his early progress after an impressive beginning in men’s football and arranged a trial in late 2019.
“The whole experience was chaos,” said Scott. “Day one I joined the youth team, the next day I trained with the first team, which was a complete shock.
“Midweek I played for Guernsey FC in the capital, travelled back and on the Friday, I took the field for the youth team and netted a three goals. It was almost a done deal for me to sign a contract.”
Within 18 months, still well before his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut against the Hatters.
He went on to make 83 league appearances for the Robins while in his teens, frequently being deployed as a wide defender – and sometimes further forward as a attacking midfielder – demonstrating his adaptability 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 forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he picked up the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to City and England playmaker Grealish.
By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the second tier’s young player of the season honour, was selected in the division’s team of the year and was named the club’s top player and top youngster.
“No doubt, I believe he will represent his country and I’m sure he’ll go on to the top of the game,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s boss at the club, remarked last year.
Within 90 days later, he signed for the Cherries for a reported fee of £25m.
Securing his big move
Scott experienced a challenging first season with the club, waiting until October to earn his top-flight debut after a knee problem in the summer, and then finding himself inconsistent of the team.
His second campaign was just as affected, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for almost several months.
“There was a decent run at the end of the previous campaign, which was good to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained Scott.
“It was yet another obstacle and the year was shaping up as a pretty bad year for the first half.”
But he was then selected by England for the Under-21 European Championships – and managed to regain fitness for the tournament.
He started five of the England U21s’ six matches as they went on to win the tournament in Slovakia, developing a strong partnership in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who himself has excelled for the senior side with the national coach.
And he has started the current campaign equally as impressively for his club, playing in every game to guide them to the top five in the table.
“To play for the England senior team would be one of the proudest moments of my life,” Scott stated earlier this season.
“The responsibility is mine, I must keep progressing as a player, keep enjoying the game, getting better every day, and with luck I catch the eye of the England manager and get my chance.”
