Bristol City star boy opens up on mixing it up with Chelsea, Man City and Spurs stars in whirlwind summer

Bristol City star boy Alex Scott has had a summer to remember after winning the UEFA U19 European Championships.

The 19-year-old’s stock continues to grow after bursting onto the scene at the end of the 2020/21 season.

Scott has had a remarkable two years, going from being Guernsey’ youngest-ever playing to dining with some of football’s top-table stars.

Joining City in January 2020 after impressing on trial, the midfielder settled into the Robins academy before signing his first professional deal in March 2021.

In the same month, he went from suffering rejection at Southampton following gruelling flights back and forth from Guernsey, to playing alongside players worth up to £20m.

Scott was named in the England Under-18’s team to face Wales in March 2021 and came on as a substitute at Leckwith Stadium in Cardiff to make his international bow.

He would line up alongside Samuel Edozie, who completed a rumoured £10m deadline day move to Southapton from Manchester City, as well as Carney Chukwuemeka, who joined two-time Champions League winners Chelsea on a six-year deal from Aston Villa.

There was also Liam Delap, a highly-rated striker and a future Under-19’s teammate, who will also be his opponent when Stoke City face the Robins this season.

With the list of clubs of all the academy stars, Scott may have been the odd one out with Bristol City to his name, whilst all the others came from Premier League academies.

All the attention was on them and even Scott’s school mates were discussing how good these players would come, little would they know that Scott would go on to become part of those discussions just a few years later.

The ‘Guernsey Grealish’ has spoken of how even before he made his City senior debut, it had prepared him for the international stage with the youngster not looking back since.

He said in an interview with Freddie Lammie from The Secret Scout: “It was weird. I trained with the first team at Bristol before I went. That definitely helped me come into the group. I had a lot of confidence but even then, you’re seeing all the teams, the Man City’s and the Chelsea’s and then there’s me playing for Bristol City.

“Louie Barry and Karamoko, they were the top boys! When I was playing local football and going to school, everyone was talking about Louie Barry, Karamoko and Liam Delap. I just remember when I got the call up for England and saw my name was there with Louie Barry.

“A year or two years ago I was chatting to my friends about these players. They’re all so humble. Louie Barry for example, I was going there thinking ‘what’s he going to be like?’

“Obviously he went to Barcelona and from young he’s been a big name who everybody has known about. He’s one of the nicest people to speak to off the pitch!”

After having a taste of international football more would come as earlier this year, Scott tasted success after a breakthrough season at Ashton Gate.

On the back of playing more than 38 times in one of the most gruelling divisions in world football, competing with multi-million pound players and former Premier League stars, Scott was back amongst his age group.

As City players came back for pre-season, Scott was jetting off to Slovakia along with the likes of Chukwuemeka, Delap and Callum Doyle, who had a spell of senior level football with Sunderland.

Success has brought the Class of 2022 squad closer, Scott admitted: “I’m close with Carney [Chukwuemeka]. Callum Doyle, Luke Chambers, Harvey Davies and Alfie Devine, that’s our little group at England.

“I’m close with everyone. That’s the good thing about our group. Everyone can speak to each other and mingle with each other. It brought us tighter together and winning it was mad.

“I don’t think I’ve properly deeped winning the Euros. Four or five years ago I was watching Phil Foden win it and now we’ve done it!

Returning back to the High Performance Centre, Scott was put on a different pre-season programme to everyone else. He was made to miss a few games but continued to train and later got his opportunities to get back into the side.

It did come with a warning from Nigel Pearson though, who urged fans and the media not to put too much pressure on Scott and expect the same as what he did last season.

Scott has so far continued to perform well and has swapped between central midfielder, attacking midfielder and right wing-back so far.

A new number had also come up and after getting permission from the boss, he was given the coveted seven shirt, which was worn by legendary kitman Scott Murray.

Explaining his decision behind the change, he said: “I had to get the new number! There were a few that I could have got.

“There was 7 or 20. The kitman had to go to the gaffer and he had to approve it first but I’m glad he did.

“I just want to keep on playing games and I want to be involved in every game this season. I’ve played a few games as a 10 this year but I’m not really bothered about where I play as long as I’m playing.

“Obviously more goals and more assists. It’s down to us on the pitch to make this season a successful one for the club!”