From grassroots all the way to England call-up - who is the ‘Grealish of Guernsey’ Scott?

Back when the young midfielder made his local team debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his manager at the time assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this youngster.”

That statement turned out to be a bit of an underestimation.

Now aged 22 and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the playmaker has earned his maiden summons to the senior England squad.

His rise from non-league prodigy to potential international star is a proper blast from the past, a story seldom seen in the modern era.

Next stop? The World Cup?

“In my mind, there was zero possibility of making it as a pro footballer, let alone playing in the Premier League and representing England as well,” Scott said in a recent interview.

“It has been a crazy five or six years of my life, and circumstances have changed drastically for myself and my family.”

So how did Alex Scott, known fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself at this level?

Developing in the lower tiers

His football journey has not been a typical one.

He spent over four years in Southampton’s academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early each Friday to fly from his home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could train and play for the club’s academy sides.

Before he turned 13, though, they released him. Bournemouth were willing to offer Scott an option and he remained with them for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind was not in it.

Rather, he opted to remain on the island and play for his local team.

“My form had dipped and flying over weekly was starting to feel overwhelming,” he explained.

“All I desired to relax at my home with my mates at weekends because I had missed nearly several years of that experience. To have that slice of youth back was a thing I definitely required.

“To gain some self-belief by returning and taking part in local football was massive for me. That proved to be probably the most crucial things that got me where I am today.”

When he was just 16, Scott became the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he came on as a 57th-minute substitute in their Isthmian League fixture at the opposition.

“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could include him in the team because he’s that good,” Guernsey boss the coach stated at the time.

“Everyone’s now seen that – his retention of the ball is exceptional, the way he runs with the ball, he’s a class act.”

Making a comeback to the professional game

Second-tier club Bristol City – chaired by Guernsey resident their owner – had been monitoring his early progress after an impressive start in adult football and gave him a trial in December 2019.

“The whole experience was chaos,” said the player. “The first day I trained with the under-18s, the next day I trained with the senior squad, which was a total shock.

“On the Wednesday I played for his local side in London, travelled back and by Friday, I took the field for Bristol City Under-18s and scored a hat-trick. From that point a done deal for me to sign a deal.”

In just a year and a half, even well before his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut against Luton.

Scott made eighty-three league appearances for the Robins while still a teenager, often being used as a wing-back – and sometimes in attack as a attacking midfielder – demonstrating his adaptability and flexibility. Even at that young age and playing out of position he was the standout performer.

Thanks to his ability to carry the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and England attacking midfielder Jack Grealish.

By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he won the EFL Championship’s young player of the season award, was selected in the division’s best XI and was voted Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.

“No doubt, I believe he will represent his country and I’m sure he will progress to the top of the game,” his former manager, the player’s manager at Ashton Gate, remarked last year.

Less than three months later, he signed for Bournemouth for a reported fee of £25m.

Securing his big move

The midfielder endured a difficult debut campaign with the Cherries, waiting until October to earn his top-flight debut after a knee problem in the summer, and then finding himself in and out of the team.

His second campaign was equally disrupted, this time by a surgery which ruled him out for nearly several months.

“I had quite a good run at the close of last season, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained Scott.

“It was almost another obstacle and it was turning out to be quite a terrible start for the first half.”

But he was then called up by the national team for the U21 Euros – and managed to regain fitness in time.

He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six matches as they claimed victory in the competition in the host nation, developing a strong understanding in the middle with his teammate, who himself has gone on to impress for the first team with Thomas Tuchel.

And he has started this season just as strongly for Bournemouth, playing in all matches to guide them to the top five in the standings.

“To play for the England senior team would be one of the proudest occasions of my life,” Scott stated recently.

“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to continue developing as a footballer, maintain my love for football, improving day on day, and with luck I impress the England manager and get my chance.”