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When the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his local team debut versus Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 fans in 2019, his coach at the time predicted, “there’s more to come from this boy.”

That statement proved to be something of an understatement.

Today aged 22 and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the playmaker has earned his first call-up to the full England squad.

His ascent from eighth-tier talent to potential international star is a true throwback, a story rarely told in the modern game.

Next stop? The World Cup?

“Back then, there was no chance of becoming a professional football player, let alone playing in the Premier League and playing for England as well,” the player stated in a recent interview.

“It’s been a incredible five or six years of my life, and things have transformed completely for myself and my family.”

So in what way did Alex Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself here?

Learning in non-league

His path in football has been far from a typical one.

He was part of over four years in Southampton’s academy setup from the age of eight, skipping school every Friday to fly from his home on the Channel Island to the mainland so he could attend training and play for the Saints’ youth teams.

Before his 13th birthday, though, they released him. Bournemouth gave him an opportunity and he remained with them for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart wasn’t fully committed.

Instead, he chose to stay on Guernsey and play for his local team.

“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over weekly was becoming a bit too much,” he explained.

“I just wanted to chill at my home with my mates at the weekend because I missed nearly several years of that experience. Getting that slice of youth back was a thing I definitely required.

“To gain a bit of confidence by returning and taking part in island football was massive for me. That proved to be perhaps one of the most important things that got me to this point.”

When he was just 16, the teenager made history as the youngest player in the club’s records when he was introduced as a 57th-minute substitute in their league fixture at the opposition.

“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could include him in the side because his talent is obvious,” manager the coach commented at the time.

“People have witnessed that – his possession of the ball is exceptional, the manner he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”

Returning to the pro ranks

Championship side Bristol City – owned by islander Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring Scott’s early progress after an promising beginning in men’s football and gave him a trial in late 2019.

“The whole experience was chaos,” said the player. “Day one I trained with the youth team, the second day I was with the first team, which was a complete surprise.

“Midweek I played for Guernsey FC in London, returned home and on the Friday, I took the field for the youth team and netted a three goals. It was almost a certainty for me to sign a deal.”

Within a year and a half, even well before his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut against the Hatters.

Scott went on to make 83 league appearances for the club while in his teens, often being deployed as a wide defender – and occasionally further forward as a number 10 – demonstrating his versatility and versatility. Even at that young age and playing out of position he was their best player.

With his skill to carry the ball up the pitch, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and national team attacking midfielder Grealish.

At the end of the 2022-23 campaign he won the second tier’s best young player award, was chosen in the division’s best XI and was voted the club’s top player and top youngster.

“Without question, I believe he’ll play for England and I think he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the sport,” his former manager, the player’s boss at Ashton Gate, stated previously.

Within three months later, he signed for Bournemouth for a reported fee of £25m.

Getting his major transfer

Scott endured a difficult first season with the club, having to wait until October to make his top-flight debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then finding himself in and out of the team.

His second campaign was equally disrupted, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for nearly several months.

“I had a decent run at the close of last season, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” said Scott.

“It was almost another obstacle and the year was shaping up as quite a terrible start for the first five months.”

But he was then called up by the national team for the U21 Euros – and succeeded in regain fitness for the tournament.

He started five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they went on to win the competition in the host nation, developing a formidable understanding in the middle with his teammate, who in turn has excelled for the first team with the national coach.

And he has started this season just as strongly for his club, featuring in all matches to help them to the top five in the standings.

“To play for the national team would be one of the proudest occasions of my career,” Scott stated earlier this season.

“The responsibility is mine, I must keep progressing as a footballer, keep enjoying football, improving every day, and hopefully I impress the national coach and get my chance.”