From grassroots to England call-up - the story of the ‘Grealish of Guernsey’ Alex Scott?

Back when the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his local team debut against Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 fans in 2019, his manager at the time assured, “there’s more to come from this youngster.”

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

Now 22 years old and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the midfielder has just received his first call-up to the full England squad.

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

Next stop? A major tournament?

“Back then, there was zero possibility of becoming a professional football player, let alone playing in the top division and playing for the national team as well,” Scott stated in a recent interview.

“It has been a incredible five or six years of my life, and things have transformed drastically for myself and my loved ones.”

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

Developing in non-league

Scott’s path in football has been far from a conventional one.

He was part of over four years in Southampton’s academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early every Friday to travel by air from his island home on the Channel Island to the south coast so he could attend training and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.

Before his 13th birthday, however, they decided to let him go. Bournemouth were willing to offer Scott an option and he remained with them for a time, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind was not in it.

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

“My form had dipped and traveling weekly was starting to feel a bit too much,” he recalled.

“I just wanted to chill at my home with my friends at the weekend because I had missed nearly several years of that experience. To have that slice of childhood back was something I really needed.

“To gain some confidence by coming back and taking part in local football was huge for me. That proved to be probably the most crucial factors that got me to this point.”

At the age of 16, Scott made history as the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a 57th-minute replacement in their league fixture at Phoenix Sports.

“I had sleepless nights because I was figuring 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 possession of the ball is outstanding, the manner he runs with the ball, he’s a class act.”

Returning to the professional game

Championship side Bristol City – chaired by islander Steve Lansdown – had been tracking his development after an promising beginning in adult football and gave him a try-out in late 2019.

“The whole experience was chaos,” recalled Scott. “Day one I trained with the youth team, the second day I was with the senior squad, which was a complete shock.

“Midweek I featured for his local side in London, returned home and on the Friday, I played for the youth team and netted a hat-trick. From that point a done deal for me to put pen to paper on a deal.”

Within a year and a half, still well before his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut versus the Hatters.

He went on to make 83 league outings for the Robins while still a teenager, often being deployed as a wing-back – and occasionally further forward as a attacking midfielder – such was his versatility and flexibility. Even at that young age and not in his natural role he was their best player.

Thanks to his ability to drive the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he picked up the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to City and national team attacking midfielder Grealish.

At the end of the 2022-23 season he won the EFL Championship’s young player of the season honour, was selected in the league’s best XI and was voted Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.

“Without question, I think he will represent England and I think he’ll go on 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 joined Bournemouth for a reported fee of £25m.

Securing his major transfer

The midfielder experienced a challenging debut campaign with the club, waiting until the autumn to earn 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 four months.

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

“That felt like almost another obstacle and the year was shaping up as a pretty bad start for the first half.”

But he was then selected by England for the Under-21 European Championships – and succeeded in get himself fit in time.

He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they went on to win the competition in Slovakia, developing a strong partnership in midfield with his teammate, who in turn has excelled for the senior side with Thomas Tuchel.

And he has begun this season just as strongly for his club, playing in all matches to help them to fifth in the table.

“To play for the England senior 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 day on day, and with luck I catch the eye of the England manager and earn an opportunity.”