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Back when Alex Scott stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 fans in 2019, his manager at the time predicted, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”

This statement proved to be something of an understatement.

Today aged 22 and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the playmaker has earned his first call-up to the senior Three Lions squad.

His rise from non-league prodigy to potential England player is a true blast from the past, a story rarely told in the modern era.

Next stop? The World Cup?

“In my mind, there was no chance of becoming a professional football player, never mind featuring in the Premier League and playing for England too,” Scott said in a recent interview.

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

So how did Alex Scott, known affectionately as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, end up here?

Developing in non-league

His football journey has not been a typical one.

He was part of over four years in the Saints’ youth system starting at eight, skipping school every Friday to travel by air from his island home on the Channel Island to the mainland so he could attend training and play for the Saints’ youth teams.

Prior to his 13th birthday, though, they decided to let him go. The Cherries were willing to offer Scott an option and he remained with them for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart was not in it.

Instead, he chose to remain on Guernsey and turn out for his local team.

“My form had dipped and traveling every week was becoming a bit too much,” he recalled.

“I just wanted to chill at home with my friends at the weekend because I had missed nearly several years of that experience. To have that little bit of youth again was a thing I definitely needed.

“To gain some self-belief by returning and taking part in local football was massive for me. That proved to be perhaps one of the most important things that got me where I am today.”

At the age of 16, Scott became the most youthful appearance-maker in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a second-half replacement in their league match at the opposition.

“I had sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could include him in the side because he’s that good,” manager Tony Vance commented at the time.

“Everyone’s now seen that – his retention of the ball is outstanding, the manner he carries the ball, he’s a class act.”

Making a comeback to the pro ranks

Championship side the Robins – chaired by islander their owner – had been monitoring his development after an promising start in adult football and arranged a try-out in December 2019.

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

“On the Wednesday I played for his local side in London, travelled back and by Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and scored a hat-trick. From that point a done deal for me to sign a contract.”

Within a year and a half, even well before his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut versus the Hatters.

He made 83 league outings for the Robins while still a teenager, frequently being deployed as a wide defender – and occasionally further forward as a number 10 – demonstrating his versatility and versatility. Despite his youth and playing out of position he was their best player.

With his ability to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to City and national team playmaker Grealish.

At the end of the 2022-23 campaign he claimed the second tier’s best young player honour, was chosen in the league’s best XI and was named Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.

“Without question, I think he’ll play for his country and I’m sure he will progress to the pinnacle of the game,” Nigel Pearson, Scott’s manager at Ashton Gate, stated last year.

Within three months after, he signed for the Cherries for a reported transfer fee of £25m.

Securing his big move

The midfielder experienced a challenging debut campaign with the club, having to wait until the autumn to make his top-flight debut after a knee problem in the summer, and then finding himself inconsistent of the starting XI.

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

“I had a decent run at the end of last season, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained he.

“That felt like almost another setback and the year was shaping up as a pretty bad year for the first five months.”

But he was then selected by the national team for the U21 Euros – and managed to get himself fit for the tournament.

He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six games as they went on to win the competition in the host nation, forming a formidable understanding in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has excelled for the first team under the national coach.

And he has started this season equally as strongly for Bournemouth, featuring in all matches to help them to fifth in the table.

“Representing the England senior team would be among the most special moments of my life,” Scott stated earlier this season.

“It’s down to me, I’ve got to keep progressing as a player, keep enjoying football, improving every day, and with luck I impress the England manager and earn an opportunity.”