‘fearless’ Alex Scott Determined To Take Chance With Tuchel’s England

There was a time, arsenic Alex Scott made his sanction astatine Bristol City, erstwhile he was known affectionately arsenic nan “Guernsey Grealish”. It was nan hairstyle, nan debased socks, nan consciousness of escapade astir his midfield play. As Scott puts it, nan club’s manager, Nigel Pearson, gave him “a batch of state to spell retired and almost do what I wanted”.

It changed aft he made his £25m move to Bournemouth successful nan summertime of 2023; location was a greater request for tactical discipline, for protect responsibility. He became much of a No 8. So, little for illustration an early years Jack Grealish, who is now connected indebtedness astatine Everton from Manchester City.

But arsenic Scott reflects connected his fantabulous shape crossed nan early months of nan season, which has led to him winning his first call-up to nan England squad for nan World Cup qualifiers against Serbia astatine Wembley connected Thursday and Albania successful Tirana 3 days later, location is 1 spot of nan nickname that will ne'er change; nan portion relating to Guernsey, wherever he is from, which goes heavy into his DNA.

The 22-year-old stands to go only nan 3rd Channel Islander to play for nan England men’s squad aft Matt Le Tissier, different boy of Guernsey, and Graeme Le Saux, who is from Jersey. There is besides Scott’s stepsister, Maya Le Tissier (no narration to Matt), who has 10 caps for nan England women’s broadside and was a portion of nan squad that won nan European Championship successful nan summer. What binds them is what they for illustration to telephone nan islander mentality.

“For me, it conscionable intends we are fearless,” Scott says. “I deliberation erstwhile we get an opportunity … because they’re reliable to travel by backmost home, it’s reliable to get to nan mainland. I consciousness for illustration we return them erstwhile they travel around.”

It talks to difficulties of a logistical nature. When Scott was connected Southampton’s books betwixt nan ages of 8 and 12, he would alert successful from Guernsey each Friday pinch 1 of his parents for training and matches, staying successful a hotel, returning connected Sunday night. He often came complete pinch Maya, who is now astatine Manchester United; successful those days, she played for Hampshire.

It besides speaks to an expertise to flooded setbacks and location person surely been a fewer of those for Scott, astir precocious nan injuries that scarred his first 2 seasons astatine Bournemouth. The biggest 1 was to his knee past October which ruled him retired for 4 months.

At slightest Scott had made it arsenic a master by then. When he was released by Southampton and later, earlier he turned 14, walked distant from a year-long spell astatine nan Bournemouth academy – he was not getting nan game-time aliases enjoyment – it was difficult to spot a early for him successful football. “When I sewage released by Southampton, it was beautiful upsetting,” he says. “It felt for illustration I’d committed 4 years of my life to this and for it to beryllium blown distant … it was heartbreaking.”

Alex Scott has established himself arsenic a Premier League-level No 8 since joining Bournemouth from Bristol City successful 2023. Photograph: Jason Cairnduff/Action Images/Reuters

Scott’s salvation was Guernsey, being backmost astatine location wherever he could unrecorded a much normal teenage life pinch his family and friends. He played for a section squad and rekindled his emotion of nan game. What was little normal was what he did astatine 16 – he played men’s shot for Guernsey FC successful nan eighth-tier Isthmian League Division One South East, becoming nan club’s youngest ever player. When he excelled complete nan first half of nan season, Bristol City came calling, offering him a danasiwa successful January 2020.

Scott says location were times erstwhile he could not spot himself arsenic a master footballer and he was a small lost. “I went to assemblage for half a twelvemonth [while he played for Guernsey], doing a athletics course,” he says. “I didn’t cognize what other to do. I grounded PE astatine school. I wasn’t awesome astatine school. There was thing connected my mind that I really wanted to do.”

As an aside, really does a early Premier League subordinate neglect GCSE PE? “The written coursework,” Scott replies. “I was nary bully astatine that. I passed English and maths, though, truthful that’s astir important.”

Everything changed aft Scott scored a hat-trick successful his proceedings crippled for Bristol City; really he would drawback his opportunity astatine nan club, speeding done nan younker ranks into nan first team, his inheritance successful nan men’s crippled pinch Guernsey giving him an edge.

Scott sewage into nan England setup astatine under-18 level and he was an integral portion of nan squad that won nan European Under‑19 Championship successful nan summertime of 2022. Then, successful this past summer, he starred alongside Elliot Anderson successful midfield arsenic nan under‑21s retained their European title.

Alex Scott is aiming to make an effect connected England’s elder broadside aft experiencing glory pinch nan age-group teams. Photograph: Eddie Keogh/The FA/Getty Images

Thomas Tuchel was truthful impressed by Anderson’s capacity successful nan last against Germany that he called him up for nan elder campy successful September, believing he could beryllium nan solution successful nan No 6 role. Anderson has since started successful each England game. Scott is successful nan squad arsenic a No 8 and it will plainly beryllium difficult to dislodge Declan Rice. His attraction is purely connected showing what he tin do: being brave, which comes arsenic standard, and continuing to make group proud, including Maya, who has been connected nan travel pinch him.

“My dada is pinch her mum,” Scott says. “We’ve grown up together and we’re very close. We speak astir days. I couldn’t beryllium prouder of her. She tin thief maine retired pinch advice. It’s bully to person personification astir who has knowledgeable it and been astir nan Lionesses and England, successful general.”

Scott has different relationship to nan women’s crippled via his namesake, nan female Alex Scott, who has conscionable been named arsenic an I’m A Celebrity contestant and is 1 of England’s most-capped players. “I saw thing nan different time that said I’d done good getting called up and going connected I’m A Celebrity astatine nan aforesaid time,” he says pinch a smile. Scott is each business astir seizing his moment.