Alex was signed on loan from Cheltenham Town in March 2009, being released as a cost cutting exercise, despite being a regular first team player. Known for his passing ability and work rate, Crosby-born Alex began his career with Liverpool, them moved on to Morecambe and Burscough, before returning to the Football League with Rochdale for £4,000 in 1994.

After four seasons at Spotland, which included a brief loan spell in Northern Ireland with Glenavon, Alex joined Cambridge United and helped them to achieve promotion from League Two in 1999.

He moved to Torquay United in 2001 and was a key performer as the Gulls won promotion in 2004 His performances for Torquay in League One the following season prompted Bristol City to sign him in the summer of 2005.

After missing a large part of the 2005-06 season through injury, Alex was a regular the following season as City won promotion to the Coca-Cola League Championship and in fact, scored the final goal of the promotion campaign.

At the start of the 2007-08 season Alex spent a three month loan period at Northampton before joining Cheltenham Town, initially on loan from Bristol City in January 2008.

He signed for City on loan in Spring 2009 and made 7 appearances before signing a one-year deal at the end of the campaign and being assigned squad number 4 for the 09/10 season.