Alex Scott says it took him “two seconds” to decide to get on a plane to the US, but he’s not given up on the World Cup just yet.
Bournemouth midfielder Scott, 22, admitted he was “disappointed” not to have been selected for England in the first place, and admitted some players may have told managers where they were dropped.
But England manager Thomas Tuchel has some good news and some bad news. The bad news is he didn’t make the 26-man squad. The good news was that he asked him to attend training camp in Florida.
Scott is set to feature for England in Saturday’s warm-up friendly against New Zealand in Tampa, effectively making him first reserve in case there are other injuries. When asked if he had considered going on vacation instead, Scott replied:
“First of all, he said you wouldn’t be with us, but then he said right after that he wanted me to come to the preparation camp. He understands how disappointing that is, so I need time to think about it and see if I want to come.”
“But I said yes right away. Of course, it took me two seconds to say I wanted to be part of the group for the preparation camp. It’s great to be here in America and help the players get the best preparation for the tournament.”
“For me, it’s just an honor to come here and take part in the preparation camp. It’s obviously disappointing not to make the final team, but it’s a real honor that he put his trust and belief in me to join the group and come here ahead of such a big tournament.”
“Playing for your country is what you dream about when you’re a kid. That’s what it’s all about. Obviously he hasn’t won a cap yet, but just being here and being around so many top players who will hopefully continue to win trophies for us.”
“I’m a fan first and foremost and watch so many tournaments, so it’s great to be a part of this group and see how they work day-to-day and how they prepare for the World Cup.”
England’s Alex Scott runs with the ball during training
Scott is one of four ‘developmental players’, along with Josh King, Rio Ngmoha and Ethan Nwaneri, but he is the only one who can be promoted to the full squad in case of injury.
Any player must be on the initial 55-man longlist to be considered at this stage, although FIFA allows for last-minute changes due to injury.
The Scot has just enjoyed a fantastic season at Bournemouth, where he was sensational, garnering rave reviews and becoming a rising star this summer.
However, this is also due to the fact that he was called up to the England national team in November last year, and was later left out of the squad in March due to lack of playing time in the previous training camp.
But it was Scott’s reaction to the drop that really shined a light on his season. Because Scott used it as fuel to his own fire to prove the doubters wrong.
Scott said: “I think it has to be done. I’m in a very privileged position to be able to play football in the Premier League and also play for England.”
“It was disappointing for me, but it also gave me the energy to go back and continue to improve and continue to play well. I’ve said it many times, the talent in this country is incredible. Just to be a part of it and be part of the conversation is great for me.”
“In March I was left out and we played against Manchester United that night, but I played really well and it gave me extra energy for the night’s game. But it was definitely something to keep my head down and I hope I can be part of the manager’s plans in the future.”
England’s Ollie Watkins, Alex Scott and Morgan Rodgers take part in a running drill
Scott still wants him to play because Tuchel has admitted he is effectively a first reserve and has told “three or four” players in other positions to be “close to the phone” in case there are other injuries.
But Scott’s summer plans show just how much being promoted to the team means to him.
“I think I’ll probably go home and watch it with my friends, like I did at Euro 2024 and the World Cup before that. I watched it with my friends.”
“I’m a big England fan so I’ll be with them in supporting the team and it would be nice to know that I was part of that group too.”
Other final World Cup squad members
England prospect Alex Scott would not be the first player to put his summer plans on hold and fly back to the World Cup. In 2002, Trevor Sinclair returned from South Korea after being dropped from the team, but made a U-turn as soon as he landed at Heathrow Airport.
Danny Murphy was injured, former England manager Sven-Goran Eriksson was called back, and Sinclair rejoined the team. Incredibly, Sinclair continued to start in the quarter-final against Brazil, which ended in heartbreak and defeat.
There is another famous case of Rio Ferdinand being injured on the eve of a tournament, and FIFA rules allow for another player to be called up, but this is a new injury.
Tottenham defender Michael Dawson went straight to the 2010 World Cup in South Africa.
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