Back when the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports before just 55 spectators in 2019, his manager back then assured, “there’s more to come from this youngster.”
This statement turned out to be a bit of an underestimation.
Today aged 22 and an established top-flight player with Bournemouth, the playmaker has just received his maiden summons to the senior England team.
His rise from non-league prodigy to possible England player is a true blast from the past, a story rarely told in the modern era.
What’s next? A major tournament?
“In my mind, there was no chance of making it as a professional football player, let alone playing in the top division and representing the national team too,” the player said previously.
“It’s been a crazy five or six years of my life, and circumstances have transformed drastically for me and my loved ones.”
So how did Alex Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, end up here?
Learning in non-league
His football journey has not been a conventional one.
He was part of over four years in Southampton’s youth system from the age of eight, skipping school each Friday to fly from his island home on the Channel Island to the mainland so he could train and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.
Prior to he turned 13, though, they decided to let him go. Bournemouth were willing to offer him an opportunity and he remained with them for a time, but, as he later admitted, his mind wasn’t fully committed.
Instead, he chose to remain on the island and turn out for his hometown club.
“My form had dipped and traveling every week was starting to feel a bit too much,” he explained.
“I just wanted to relax at my home with my mates at the weekend because I missed nearly several years of doing that. To have that slice of youth back was something I really needed.
“Building a bit of self-belief by returning and taking part in local football was huge for me. It was probably one of the most important factors that led me where I am today.”
At the age of 16, Scott became the youngest player in the club’s records when he came on as a 57th-minute substitute in their league match at the opposition.
“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the side because he’s that good,” Guernsey boss the coach commented at the time.
“Everyone’s now seen that – his retention of the ball is exceptional, the manner he runs with the ball, he’s a class act.”
Making a comeback to the pro ranks
Second-tier club the Robins – chaired by islander Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring his development after an promising beginning in adult football and gave him a try-out in late 2019.
“The whole experience was hectic,” said Scott. “The first day I joined the under-18s, the second day I trained with the senior squad, which was a total shock.
“Midweek I played for Guernsey FC in London, travelled back and on the Friday, I took the field for the youth team and scored a three goals. From that point a certainty for me to sign a deal.”
Within a year and a half, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut against the Hatters.
Scott made 83 league appearances for the Robins while still a teenager, frequently being deployed as a wide defender – and occasionally in attack as a attacking midfielder – such was his versatility and flexibility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.
Thanks to his ability to drive the ball forward, 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.
At the end of the 2022-23 season he claimed the EFL Championship’s best young player honour, was selected in the league’s team of the year and was named the club’s top player and top youngster.
“Without question, I believe he’ll play for England and I think he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the game,” his former manager, the player’s boss at Ashton Gate, remarked previously.
Less than three months later, he joined the Cherries for a reported fee of 25 million pounds.
Getting his big move
The midfielder endured a difficult debut campaign with the Cherries, having to wait until October to make 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 ruled him out for almost several months.
“I had quite a good run at the close of last season, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” said he.
“It was yet another obstacle and the year was shaping up as quite a terrible year for the first five months.”
But he was then selected by England for the Under-21 European Championships – 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 the host nation, developing a strong partnership in midfield with his teammate, who himself has excelled for the first team with the national coach.
And he has started this season just as impressively for his club, playing in every game 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 said earlier this season.
“It’s down to me, I’ve got to keep progressing as a player, maintain my love for football, improving every day, and hopefully I impress the England manager and earn an opportunity.”
