Rising from grassroots all the way to national team call-up - the story of ‘Guernsey Grealish’ Scott?

Back when Alex Scott made his local team debut versus Phoenix Sports before just 55 spectators in 2019, his coach back then assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”

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

Today aged 22 and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the playmaker has earned his maiden summons to the full England team.

His ascent from non-league prodigy to potential England player is a true throwback, a journey seldom seen in the modern era.

Next stop? The World Cup?

“In my mind, there was zero possibility of making it as a professional football player, let alone featuring in the Premier League and representing the national team as well,” the player stated previously.

“It’s been a crazy five or six years of my life, and things have transformed drastically for me and my loved ones.”

But how did Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up here?

Developing in non-league

Scott’s football journey has not been a typical one.

He spent four and a half years in the Saints’ academy setup from the age of eight, leaving school early each 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.

Before his 13th birthday, however, they released him. The Cherries gave him an option and he remained with them for a time, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind wasn’t fully committed.

Instead, he opted to stay on the island and turn out for his local team.

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

“I just wanted to relax at my home with my friends at the weekend because I missed nearly several years of doing that. Getting that slice of youth again was something I really needed.

“Building a bit of confidence by coming back and taking part in island football was massive for me. It was perhaps one of the most important factors that led me where I am today.”

At the age of 16, the teenager made history as the most youthful appearance-maker in the club’s records when he was introduced as a second-half substitute in their Isthmian League match at the opposition.

“I had trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could include him in the team because his talent is obvious,” manager the coach stated at the time.

“People have witnessed that – his possession of the ball is outstanding, the way he carries the ball, he’s pure quality.”

Making a comeback to the pro ranks

Second-tier club the Robins – owned by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring Scott’s development after an impressive beginning in men’s football and arranged a try-out in December 2019.

“It was chaos,” said Scott. “Day one I joined the youth team, the second day I trained with the senior squad, which was a complete shock.

“On the Wednesday I played for his local side in the capital, travelled back and on the Friday, I played for the youth team and netted a three goals. It was almost a done deal for me to sign a contract.”

In just 18 months, even well before his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut against the Hatters.

Scott went on to make eighty-three league appearances for the club while still a teenager, often being deployed as a wing-back – and occasionally further forward as a number 10 – demonstrating his versatility and versatility. Even at that young age and playing out of position he was their best player.

With his skill to carry the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he picked up the moniker ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to City and England playmaker Jack Grealish.

By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the EFL Championship’s young player of the season award, was chosen in the division’s best XI and was named the club’s top player and top youngster.

“No doubt, I think he will represent his country and I think he will progress to the top of the sport,” his former manager, Scott’s boss at Ashton Gate, stated last year.

Less than 90 days later, he joined the Cherries for a reported transfer fee of £25m.

Securing his big move

The midfielder endured a challenging first season with the Cherries, having to wait until October to make his top-flight debut after a knee injury in the summer, and then finding himself in and out of the starting XI.

His second campaign was just as affected, this time by a surgery which ruled him out for nearly several months.

“I had quite a good run at the end of the previous campaign, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” said he.

“That felt like yet another setback 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 succeeded in get himself fit for the tournament.

He started five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they claimed victory in the competition in the host nation, developing a formidable understanding in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who himself has gone on to impress for the first team with Thomas Tuchel.

And he has begun the current campaign just as impressively for Bournemouth, playing in all matches to help them to the top five in the standings.

“To play for the England senior team would be among the most special occasions of my career,” the player said recently.

“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to keep progressing as a footballer, maintain my love for the game, getting better every day, and with luck I catch the eye of the national coach and earn an opportunity.”