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When the young midfielder made his local team debut against Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 fans in 2019, his manager at the time assured, “there’s more to come from this youngster.”

That prediction turned out to be a bit of an understatement.

Now 22 years old and a Premier League regular with Bournemouth, the playmaker has earned his maiden call-up to the full England squad.

His rise from eighth-tier talent to possible international star is a proper throwback, a story rarely seen in the modern era.

What’s next? A major tournament?

“In my mind, there was no chance of making it as a pro footballer, let alone playing in the top division and representing England too,” the player said in a recent interview.

“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, referred to fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself here?

Learning in non-league

Scott’s football journey has not been a typical one.

He spent over four years in the Saints’ youth system starting at eight, leaving school early every Friday to fly from his island home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could attend training and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.

Before he turned 13, however, they released him. Bournemouth gave Scott an opportunity and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind wasn’t fully committed.

Instead, he chose to stay on the island and turn out for his local team.

“My form had dipped and traveling every week was becoming overwhelming,” he recalled.

“All I desired to relax at my home with my mates at weekends because I had missed almost four and a half years of doing that. To have that slice of childhood back was a thing I really required.

“Building a bit of self-belief by returning and playing island football was huge for me. It was probably one of the most important things that led me where I am today.”

When he was just 16, the teenager became the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a 57th-minute replacement in their Isthmian League match at the opposition.

“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could include him in the side because his talent is obvious,” Guernsey boss the coach commented at the time.

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

Making a comeback to the pro ranks

Second-tier club the Robins – owned by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring Scott’s early progress after an promising beginning in men’s football and arranged a try-out in late 2019.

“It was chaos,” recalled Scott. “Day one I joined 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 London, returned home and on the Friday, I took the field for Bristol City Under-18s and scored a hat-trick. It was almost a certainty for me to put pen to paper on a deal.”

In just a year and a half, still well before his 18th birthday, he was earning his first-team debut against the Hatters.

Scott made eighty-three league appearances for the club while in his teens, often being used as a wing-back – and sometimes further forward as a attacking midfielder – 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 earned the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and national team attacking midfielder Grealish.

By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he won the EFL Championship’s best young player honour, was chosen in the league’s team of the year and was named the club’s player and young player of the Year.

“No doubt, I think he will represent his country and I think he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s boss at the club, remarked previously.

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

Securing his big move

The midfielder endured a challenging debut campaign with the Cherries, waiting until the autumn to earn his Premier League debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then finding himself inconsistent of the starting XI.

His second campaign was equally affected, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for almost four months.

“I had a decent run at the end of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” explained 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 the national team for the U21 Euros – and managed to regain fitness in time.

He started five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they claimed victory in the tournament in the host nation, developing a strong understanding in the middle with his teammate, who himself has gone on to impress for the senior side under Thomas Tuchel.

And he has started the current campaign just as impressively for his club, playing in all matches to guide them to fifth in the table.

“To play for the national team would be among the most special occasions of my career,” Scott said recently.

“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to continue developing as a player, maintain my love for football, getting better every day, and hopefully I impress the England manager and get my chance.”