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When Alex Scott stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 spectators in 2019, his coach back then predicted, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”

This statement turned out to be a bit of an underestimation.

Now 22 years old and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the midfielder has just received his maiden summons to the full England squad.

His ascent from non-league prodigy to potential international star is a proper throwback, a journey rarely seen in the modern game.

What’s next? The World Cup?

“In my mind, there was no chance of becoming a professional football player, let alone playing in the top division and representing England as well,” the player said in a recent interview.

“It’s been a crazy half-dozen years of my life, and circumstances have changed drastically for myself and my family.”

But in what way did Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, end up at this level?

Developing in non-league

His football journey has been far from a conventional one.

He was part of over four years in Southampton’s academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early each Friday to travel by air from his island home on the Channel Island to the south coast so he could attend training and feature for the club’s academy sides.

Prior to his 13th birthday, however, they decided to let him go. The Cherries were willing to offer him an opportunity and he remained with them for a while, but, as he later admitted, his mind wasn’t fully committed.

Rather, he opted to stay on the island and turn out for his hometown club.

“My form had dipped and flying over every week was starting to feel overwhelming,” he explained.

“All I desired to relax at home with my mates at the weekend because I had missed almost four and a half years of that experience. To have that slice of childhood again was a thing I definitely needed.

“Building a bit of confidence by coming back and taking part in island football was huge for me. That proved to be probably one of the most important factors that led me to this point.”

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

“I had trouble sleeping because I was figuring out how I could include him in the side because he’s that good,” manager the coach stated back then.

“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is exceptional, the manner he runs with the ball, he’s pure quality.”

Returning to the pro ranks

Championship side the Robins – owned by islander their owner – had been tracking Scott’s early progress after an promising start in men’s football and arranged a try-out in late 2019.

“The whole experience was hectic,” said the player. “Day one I joined the under-18s, the second day I trained with the first team, which was a complete shock.

“On the Wednesday I featured for Guernsey FC in the capital, travelled back and by Friday, I took the field for Bristol City Under-18s and scored a hat-trick. It was almost a certainty for me to sign a deal.”

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

He went on to make eighty-three league appearances for the Robins while in his teens, frequently being deployed as a wing-back – and sometimes further forward as a attacking midfielder – such was his adaptability and versatility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.

Thanks to his ability to drive the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to City and England attacking midfielder Grealish.

By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he claimed the second tier’s best young player honour, was selected in the division’s team of the year and was named Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.

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

Within three months later, he joined the Cherries for a reported fee of 25 million pounds.

Securing his major transfer

The midfielder experienced a challenging debut campaign with the club, having to wait until October to make his top-flight debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then being in and out of the team.

His following season was equally affected, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for nearly several months.

“There was quite a good run at the end of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” said Scott.

“It was almost another setback and it was shaping up as a pretty bad year for the first half.”

But he was then called up by the national team for the Under-21 European Championships – and managed to get himself fit for the tournament.

He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six matches as they went on to win the competition in the host nation, developing a formidable understanding in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who himself has excelled for the senior side under the national coach.

And he has begun the current campaign just as impressively for his club, featuring in every game to guide them to the top five in the table.

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

“It’s down to me, I must keep progressing as a player, maintain my love for the game, getting better every day, and with luck I catch the eye of the England manager and get my chance.”