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When Alex Scott stepped onto the pitch for his local team debut against Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his coach back then assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”

That statement proved to be a bit of an understatement.

Today 22 years old and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the playmaker has earned his maiden summons to the senior Three Lions team.

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

What’s next? A major tournament?

“In my mind, there was zero possibility of becoming a professional football player, never mind featuring in the top division and representing England as well,” the player stated previously.

“It has been a crazy five or six years of my life, and circumstances have transformed drastically for me and my family.”

So how did Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up here?

Developing in the lower tiers

Scott’s football journey has been far from a typical one.

He spent four and a half years in Southampton’s academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early every 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 Saints’ youth teams.

Prior to he turned 13, however, they released him. The Cherries gave Scott an option and he remained with them for a while, but, as he later admitted, his heart wasn’t fully committed.

Rather, he opted to remain on Guernsey and play for his local team.

“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over every week was starting to feel overwhelming,” he explained.

“All I desired to chill at home with my friends at the weekend because I had missed almost several years of that experience. To have that slice of childhood back was a thing I really needed.

“To gain a bit of self-belief by returning and taking part in local football was huge for me. That proved to be probably the most crucial things that got me where I am today.”

At the age of 16, Scott became the most youthful appearance-maker in the club’s records when he came on as a second-half replacement in their league match at the opposition.

“I had sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could include him in the team because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss the coach commented back then.

“People have witnessed that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the way he runs with the ball, he’s pure quality.”

Making a comeback to the pro ranks

Second-tier club the Robins – owned by Guernsey resident their owner – had been tracking his early progress after an impressive start in adult football and gave him a trial in late 2019.

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

“On the Wednesday I played for Guernsey FC in the capital, returned home and on the Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and scored a three goals. It was almost a certainty for me to put pen to paper on a contract.”

Within a year and a half, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut against Luton.

Scott went on to make eighty-three league appearances for the club while still a teenager, frequently being deployed as a wide defender – and sometimes further forward as a number 10 – demonstrating his adaptability and versatility. Despite his youth and playing out of position he was the standout performer.

Thanks to his skill to carry the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he picked up the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and national team playmaker Jack Grealish.

At the end of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the EFL Championship’s best young player honour, was chosen in the league’s best XI and was voted the club’s top player and top youngster.

“No doubt, I believe he will represent his country and I think he will progress to the top of the sport,” his former manager, the player’s boss at Ashton Gate, remarked last year.

Within 90 days after, he joined the Cherries for a reported transfer fee of £25m.

Getting his major transfer

The midfielder endured a challenging first season with the club, having to wait until the autumn to make his Premier League debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then being inconsistent of the team.

His following season was equally disrupted, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for almost four months.

“There was a decent run at the end of last season, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” said he.

“It was almost another setback and it was turning out to be quite a terrible start for the first five months.”

But he was then selected by the national team for the Under-21 European Championships – and succeeded in get himself fit for the tournament.

He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six games as they claimed victory in the tournament in Slovakia, developing a formidable partnership in midfield with his teammate, who in turn has excelled for the first team with Thomas Tuchel.

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

“To play for the England senior team would be one of the proudest occasions of my career,” the player stated recently.

“It’s down to me, I must continue developing as a player, maintain my love for football, improving every day, and with luck I impress the national coach and earn an opportunity.”