Alex Scott (footballer, born 2003)

Alex Jay Scott (born 21 August 2003) is a Guernsey-born professional footballer who plays as a midfielder for Premier League club AFC Bournemouth and the England national under-21 football team.

Alex Scott
Scott in 2023
Personal information
Full nameAlex Jay Scott[1]
Date of birth (2003-08-21) 21 August 2003 (age 20)
Place of birthGuernsey, Channel Islands
Position(s)Midfielder
Team information
Current team
AFC Bournemouth
Number14
Senior career*
YearsTeamApps(Gls)
2019–2020Guernsey14(0)
2020–2023Bristol City83(5)
2023–AFC Bournemouth23(1)
International career
2021England U181(0)
2021–2022England U1912(1)
2022–2023England U209(0)
2024–England U212(0)
Medal record
Men's football
Representing  England
UEFA European Under-19 Championship
Winner2022 Slovakia
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 22:46, 19 May 2024 (UTC)
‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 21:52, 26 March 2024 (UTC)

Club career

Scott signed for Isthmian League side Guernsey on turning 16 having previously trained with the youth teams of Southampton and Bournemouth,[2] he made his debut for the Green Lions against Phoenix Sports on 31 August 2019 becoming the youngest ever Guernsey player.[3] Scott made 15 appearances for Guernsey before his transfer in January 2020.[2]

Bristol City

In December 2019, Scott signed a pre-contract agreement with Championship side Bristol City.[4] Having initially linked up with the club's academy, Scott signed his first professional contract with Bristol City in March 2021.[5][6] Scott made his professional debut with Bristol City as a starter in a 1–1 Championship draw to Blackpool on 7 August 2021.[7] After missing a crucial chance earlier on in the game against Nottingham Forest, Scott soon went on to get his first career goal for the Robins, putting them 1–0 up on 19 October 2021 at the 39th minute mark, coming off in the 78th minute in a game that ended 2–1 to Nottingham Forest.[8]

Scott's impressive performances across the 2022–23 season did not go unnoticed with manager Nigel Pearson valuing him at over £25 million amid interest from a number of Premier League clubs.[9] He was awarded the EFL Young Player of the Month award for February 2023 having played a starring role in Bristol City's midfield as they climbed the table.[10] Following Bristol City's defeat against Manchester City in the FA Cup on 28 February 2023, Scott was described by Pep Guardiola as an "unbelievable player",[11] and by Jack Grealish as a "top, top talent".[12] On 23 April 2023, Scott was named EFL Championship Young Player of the Season, and included in the EFL Championship Team of the Season.[13] In April 2023, Scott claimed to pay little attention to transfer speculation, stating that "My friends ask me: 'Are you going here? Are you going here?' I just ignore them, basically".[14] Scott received Bristol City's Player of the Year and Young Player of the Year awards for his performances in the 2022–23 season.[15]

AFC Bournemouth

On 10 August 2023, Scott completed a permanent transfer to AFC Bournemouth, one of his old clubs at youth level, on a long-term deal.[16] Bristol City received a club-record fee for Scott, believed to be around £25 million.[17][18] He joined Bournemouth despite having sustained a "significant" knee injury prior to leaving Bristol City, which meant Scott did not feature for Bournemouth in the opening months of the 2023–24 season.[19] He made his debut for the Cherries on 21 October 2023, playing 56 minutes in a 2–1 defeat to Wolverhampton Wanderers. After playing the full 90 minutes in a 2–1 victory over Burnley, he was substituted in the first half versus Manchester City with an MCL injury.

International career

Scott received his first call-up to the England national under-18 football team side in March 2021.[20] On 29 March 2021, Scott made his debut as a second-half substitute in England's 2–0 win against Wales.[21][22]

On 2 September 2021, Scott made his debut for the England U19s during a 2–0 victory over Italy U19s at St. George's Park.[23] On 17 June 2022, Scott was included in the England U19 squad for the 2022 UEFA European Under-19 Championship.[24] He came off the bench during the semi-final against Italy to score an equalizer with his first touch of the game.[25] Scott started in the final as England won the tournament with a 3-1 extra time victory over Israel on 1 July 2022.[26][27]

On 21 September 2022, Scott made his England U20 debut during a 3–0 victory over Chile at the Pinatar Arena.[28] On 10 May 2023, Scott was included in the England squad for the 2023 FIFA U-20 World Cup and started in three of their four games at the tournament including the round of sixteen defeat against Italy.[29][30]

On 22 March 2024, Scott made his England U21 debut, coming on as a second-half substitute in a 5–1 away win against Azerbaijan.[31]

Career statistics

As of match played 19 May 2024
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
ClubSeasonLeagueFA CupEFL CupOtherTotal
DivisionAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoalsAppsGoals
Guernsey2019–20[2]Isthmian League
South East Division
1401[a]0150
Total14010150
Bristol City2019–20[32]Championship00000000
2020–21[33]Championship30000030
2021–22[34]Championship3841000394
2022–23[35]Championship4214130492
Total8355130916
AFC Bournemouth2023–24[36]Premier League2313110272
Career total12068240101328

Honours

England U19s

Individual

References