Scott adjusts sights after breakthrough campaign
BRISTOL City prospect Alex Scott has gone from having ambitions to play ten games in a season for the Robins to dreaming of pulling on an England shirt one day in the future.
The 18-year-old has enjoyed a breakthrough season, playing 36 times in the Championship having earned the trust of manager Nigel Pearson to be thrown into the deep end to play in a number of positions.
The midfielder has found himself playing at right wing-back for large parts of the campaign – a position he is more than happy to help out in for now – and his stock has dramatically risen, along with the amount of transfer speculation over his future.
Scott, who made one League start last season, has been surprised with the amount of football presented to him, and there is likely to be little rest for him with an inevitable callup to the England Under-19 Euros tournament on the horizon in June.
While the midfielder admitted he cannot wait to represent his country, he has loftier ambitions to play for the senior team – a development from his goal to play a handful of matches for the Robins.
Speaking ahead of tomorrow’s match with Hull, he said: “I think at the moment and the way it’s going, my dream would be to play for England. Playing in the younger age groups, you see the first team players sometimes when you’re there and it’s a big dream for me to play for England as I progress.
“Maybe at the start of the season, it would have just been playing as many games as I can for Bristol City. I didn’t expect to be playing so many games. I’d have been happy with ten.
“Now for the next season it would be to start every game and be the first name on the team-sheet and that would be my main objective. But for the rest of my career, it would be to play for England.
“I probably won’t get much of a break this summer, so hopefully I’ll get a call-up. Playing for your country is always a proud moment, whether it’s a friendly or a qualifying game, I’ll just be proud to wear the England shirt so it will be that one step forward to play at a major tournament for England.”
Scott has been one of the shining lights throughout a long and difficult Bristol City season, and it has not gone unnoticed. Just in the last week Tottenham, Norwich and Leeds have been linked with a summer move for his signature.
Earlier in the season, Everton, Leicester and West Ham were also speculated to be watching Scott and while he naturally admitted his ambitions to be a Premier League player, he refuses to get dragged into the rumours and instead insists his future is better served playing regular football at Ashton Gate.
“You can hear the noise, you know the noise is there, but I just try to get on with my football,” he added.
“We’ve got two games left to play, so I just want to finish the season strongly and put myself in the best position for the Euros in the summer if I get picked. I try my best to ignore it, I don’t read anything on social media, I think that’s the best way to keep it. I think playing week-in-weekout now is definitely benefitting me.”