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When Alex Scott stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut versus Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 fans in 2019, his coach at the time assured, “there’s more to come from this youngster.”

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

Now 22 years old and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the midfielder has just received his first call-up to the senior England squad.

His ascent from non-league prodigy to possible England player is a true throwback, a journey seldom seen in the modern game.

Next stop? A major tournament?

“Back then, there was no chance of becoming a pro footballer, let alone playing in the top division and playing for England as well,” the player stated previously.

“It’s been a incredible half-dozen years of my life, and circumstances have changed completely for me and my loved ones.”

But how did Alex Scott, known fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself here?

Developing in non-league

Scott’s path in football has not been a typical one.

He was part of over four years in the Saints’ youth system from the age of eight, leaving school early each Friday to fly from his home on the Channel Island to the mainland so he could train and play for the Saints’ youth teams.

Prior to his 13th birthday, however, they released him. The Cherries were willing to offer Scott an option and he remained with them for a while, but, as he later admitted, his heart was not in it.

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

“My form had dipped and traveling weekly was becoming a bit too much,” he explained.

“I just wanted to relax at home with my mates at the weekend because I missed almost four and a half years of that experience. To have that little bit of youth back was something I definitely required.

“To gain a bit of confidence by coming back and taking part in island football was massive for me. That proved to be probably the most crucial factors that led me to this point.”

When he was just 16, Scott became the most youthful appearance-maker in Guernsey’s history when he came on as a 57th-minute replacement in their league match at the opposition.

“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could get him in the side because his talent is obvious,” manager the coach commented 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

Second-tier club Bristol City – owned by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring Scott’s development after an impressive beginning in men’s football and arranged a trial in late 2019.

“The whole experience was chaos,” said Scott. “The first day I joined the youth team, the next day I trained with the first team, which was a total surprise.

“On the Wednesday I played for his local side in the capital, travelled back and by Friday, I took the field for the youth team and scored a hat-trick. From that point a done deal for me to put pen to paper on a contract.”

In just 18 months, still well before his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut versus Luton.

Scott went on to make eighty-three league appearances for the club while still a teenager, frequently being used 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.

With his ability to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a reference to City and England 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 team of the year and was voted Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.

“Without question, I believe he will represent England and I’m sure he will progress to the top of the game,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s boss at Ashton Gate, stated last year.

Less than three months after, he signed for Bournemouth for a understood fee of £25m.

Securing his big move

Scott endured a difficult first season with the Cherries, having to wait until October to make his Premier League debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then finding himself inconsistent of the starting XI.

His second campaign was just as disrupted, this time by a surgery which ruled him out for almost several months.

“I had quite a good run at the close of the previous campaign, which was good to have, then I fractured 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 U21 Euros – and managed to regain fitness for the tournament.

He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six matches as they went on to win the tournament in Slovakia, developing a formidable partnership in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has excelled for the senior side with the national coach.

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

“To play for the national team would be among the most special moments of my life,” Scott stated recently.

“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to keep progressing as a footballer, maintain my love for football, improving day on day, and hopefully I impress the national coach and earn an opportunity.”