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Back when the young midfielder made his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 fans in 2019, his manager at the time assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this youngster.”

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

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

His ascent from non-league prodigy to potential international star is a true throwback, a story seldom seen in the modern game.

Next stop? A major tournament?

“In my mind, there was no chance of making it as a professional football player, never mind playing in the top division and playing for England too,” the player said in a recent interview.

“It has been a incredible five or six years of my life, and circumstances have transformed completely for me and my loved ones.”

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

Learning in non-league

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

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

Before he turned 13, though, they released him. Bournemouth were willing to offer him an opportunity and he remained with them for a time, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind was not in it.

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

“I wasn’t playing very well and traveling weekly was becoming a bit too much,” he recalled.

“All I desired to chill at my home with my mates at weekends because I missed almost several years of that experience. Getting that slice of youth back was something I definitely needed.

“To gain a bit of self-belief by returning and playing island football was huge for me. It was probably the most crucial factors that got me to this point.”

At the age of 16, Scott made history as the most youthful appearance-maker in the club’s records when he was introduced as a second-half replacement in their Isthmian League fixture at Phoenix Sports.

“I’ve been having trouble sleeping because I was trying to work out how I could get him in the team because he’s that good,” Guernsey boss the coach commented at the time.

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

Returning to the professional game

Championship side Bristol City – owned by islander their owner – had been monitoring his early progress after an impressive start in adult football and gave him a try-out in December 2019.

“It was chaos,” recalled Scott. “The first day I trained with the under-18s, the next day I trained with the first team, which was a total surprise.

“Midweek I featured for his local side in the capital, returned home and on the Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and scored a hat-trick. From that point a certainty for me to sign a contract.”

Within a year and a half, even well before his 18th birthday, he was earning his senior debut against Luton.

Scott went on to make 83 league appearances for the Robins 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 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 City and England playmaker Jack Grealish.

By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he won the EFL Championship’s young player of the season award, was selected in the league’s team of the year and was named Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.

“No doubt, I think he’ll play for England and I think he’ll go on to the top of the sport,” his former manager, the player’s manager at Ashton Gate, remarked previously.

Less than three months later, he signed for Bournemouth for a reported transfer fee of £25m.

Securing his big move

Scott experienced a challenging debut campaign with the Cherries, having to wait until the autumn to make his Premier League debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then being in and out of the team.

His second campaign was equally affected, this time by a knee operation which ruled him out for nearly four months.

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

“That felt like yet another setback and the year was turning out to be quite a terrible start for the first half.”

But he was then called up by England 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 matches as they went on to win the competition in Slovakia, forming a formidable partnership in the middle with Elliot Anderson, who in turn has excelled for the senior side with Thomas Tuchel.

And he has started the current campaign just as strongly for Bournemouth, featuring in every game to guide them to fifth in the standings.

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

“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to continue developing as a player, keep enjoying the game, getting better day on day, and with luck I impress the national coach and get my chance.”