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Back when Alex Scott made his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 fans in 2019, his coach back then assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this boy.”

This prediction turned out to be something of an understatement.

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

His rise from non-league prodigy to potential England player is a true throwback, a journey rarely seen in the modern era.

What’s next? A major tournament?

“In my mind, there was no chance of becoming a pro footballer, never mind featuring in the Premier League and representing England as well,” Scott said previously.

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

So in what way did Scott, known fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up at this level?

Learning in non-league

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

He was part of four and a half years in the Saints’ youth system from the age of 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 his 13th birthday, though, they decided to let him go. The Cherries gave Scott an option and he remained with them for a time, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart wasn’t fully committed.

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

“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling weekly was starting to feel overwhelming,” he explained.

“All I desired to relax at home with my mates at the weekend because I missed almost several years of that experience. To have that slice of childhood back was a thing I definitely required.

“To gain a bit of confidence by coming back and taking part in local football was huge for me. It was probably the most crucial things that led me where I am today.”

At the age of 16, Scott made history as the youngest player in the club’s records when he was introduced as a 57th-minute replacement in their league match at Phoenix Sports.

“I had sleepless nights because I was trying to work out how I could include him in the side because he’s that good,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance stated back then.

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

Returning to the professional game

Championship side Bristol City – chaired by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been tracking his early progress after an promising start in men’s football and gave him a try-out in December 2019.

“The whole experience was hectic,” recalled Scott. “Day one I joined the under-18s, the next day I trained with the senior squad, which was a total shock.

“On the Wednesday I featured for Guernsey FC in the capital, travelled back and on the Friday, I took the field for the youth team and netted a hat-trick. It was almost a certainty for me to sign a contract.”

Within 18 months, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was earning his first-team debut versus the Hatters.

Scott made eighty-three league appearances for the Robins while still a teenager, frequently being deployed as a wing-back – and sometimes in attack as a attacking midfielder – demonstrating his versatility and versatility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was their best player.

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

At the end of the 2022-23 season he claimed the second tier’s best young player award, was selected in the division’s best XI and was voted Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.

“Without question, I think he’ll play for England and I think he’ll go on to the top of the game,” his former manager, the player’s manager at Ashton Gate, remarked previously.

Within 90 days later, he signed for Bournemouth for a understood transfer fee of £25m.

Securing his major transfer

Scott experienced a difficult first season with the Cherries, waiting until the autumn to earn his top-flight debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then finding himself in and out of the starting XI.

His following season was just as disrupted, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for almost several months.

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

“It was yet 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 England for the U21 Euros – and succeeded in get himself fit in time.

He went on to start five of the Young Lions’ six games as they went on to win the competition in Slovakia, forming a formidable partnership in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who himself has excelled for the first team under Thomas Tuchel.

And he has started the current campaign just as strongly for his club, playing in every game to guide them to fifth in the table.

“Representing the England senior team would be among the most special moments of my career,” the player said recently.

“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to continue developing as a footballer, keep enjoying the game, improving day on day, and hopefully I impress the national coach and earn an opportunity.”