ALEX SCOTT is the shock name included in Thomas Tuchel’s latest England squad.
The Bournemouth midfielder, 22, has been picked after a scintillating campaign to date for the Cherries where he has become the latest success story under .
Alex Scott and Elliot Anderson are leading England’s midfield renaissanceCredit: Getty
The pair were heavily involved as England U21’s were crowned European champions in the summerCredit: Getty
Scott has also been recognised for his role in helping retain their Under-21 Euro title over summer – in which he formed a fantastic partnership with .
The pair became firm friends as they provided the midfield platform on which Lee Carsley’s side built their success in .
Anderson, also 22, broke into Tuchel’s squad earlier this campaign and already looks to be the likely starter at No6 for his country at the World Cup next summer.
Scott told SunSport back in September how inspired he is by Anderson and how he wants to emulate his pal, whom he speaks to most weeks.
The Bournemouth star said back then: “I’d never met him until we were both called up to England and we just hit it off straight away.
“We’ve got the same sort of banter, we like the same things and both just love .
“I’ve been speaking to him most weeks since the Euros and I was praying for him to be in the senior squad when he got in.
“I know how good he is and now he’s showing the whole world.
“I’m proper proud of him and happy that I’ve got him as a mate and someone to look to. It shows the pathway is there.”
Scott played the Under-21 Euros with a protective mask due to a broken jaw having caught a stray elbow from Aston Villa’s in May.
It led to an amusing, if painful, encounter with senior boss Tuchel at the final.
Tuchel had come over to watch the Young Lions against his native Germany in the battle for the title, with England coming through 3-2.
The ex-Chelsea boss went into the dressing room after the game to congratulate Carsley’s side when the incident occurred.
Scott explained to SunSport in September: “He accidentally gave my jaw a little tap, celebrating!
“We laughed that off. It wasn’t painful, to be fair. He had forgotten about it being broken, looked quite shocked at it and apologised! But that was good of him to come in.
“He came in and said a few words, made a few jokes here and there.
“We knew he was there. You want to impress the England manager, of course, because that’s the aim for any young player growing up in this country, to play for the senior team.”
Scott now looks to have his chance having been called up for the at home to on Thursday and away to Albania on Sunday,
Fans may well see his inclusion as a bolt from the blue, but Scott certainly has not had it easy in his career.
Hailing from the island of Guernsey, he was on Southampton’s books as a kid and used to have to fly over every weekend to play.
All that gruelling travelling – not to mention the training he was missing due to not being on the mainland – took its toll.
When Saints released him at 14, Scott fell out of love with football for a while, choosing to play locally for Guernsey FC, who were managed by Tony Vance who had known the youngster since he was six.
Guernsey played in the Isthmian league South Central Division – the eighth tier of the English pyramid – meaning that, from the age of 16, Scott was playing men’s football.
Vance told SunSport back in 2023: “He was disillusioned with football when he came back from Southampton.
“Living on an island is difficult because you’re out of the loop, as he wasn’t allowed to move to the mainland. The other boys who lived locally were training two or three days a week.
“But Guernsey play in non-league where it is brutal and ruthless. Alex’s early grounding was fruitful because he matured very quickly.”
Vance soon realised Scott was too good for his side and, having a close relationship with Brian Tinnion, the then-academy director at Bristol City and now technical director of the club, the midfielder was sent over to the Robins for a trial.
He hit a perfect hat-trick with goals using his left foot, right foot and head in the first half of one try-out match – and the decision was made for him to be signed.
Scott quickly earned the moniker of the ‘Guernsey Grealish’ for his tricks and flicks when playing at No10.
Scott even drew praise from England man Grealish himself – as well as – for his performance for the Robins in a 3-0 defeat to Manchester City in 2023.
Guardiola described Scott as “an unbelievable player”, while Grealish labelled him a “top, top talent”.
It was later that year that Scott moved to the Premier League with Bournemouth, despite plenty of interest from the likes of and the club he supported as a kid, Spurs.
By his own admission, Scott took some time to adapt to England’s top flight and Iraola’s ultra-disciplined pressing game.
But it is this season where he has emerged as the Cherries’ main man in midfield, becoming a reliable, energetic No8 who has formed a particularly close bond with on and off the pitch, regularly going for coffee with the Ghanaian star.
Scott has featured in all ten of Bournemouth’s league games so far, helping their rise to fifth, and chipped in with a goal in September’s 2-1 home win over Brighton.
Tuchel and his England coaching staff have been following Scott’s development closely to the point where he has now been rewarded with a surprise call-up.
With only seven months to go to the World Cup, can he make the kind of impact good mate Anderson has over the next week and get himself in the reckoning?
Alex Scott has earned a call-up after impressive performances for BournemouthCredit: Getty
Scott has been a driving force behind Bournemouth’s impressive start to the seasonCredit: Getty
England suffered heartbreak at Euro 2024Credit: Getty 
