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When Alex Scott made his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his coach at the time predicted, “there’s more to come from this boy.”

This prediction proved to be a bit of an understatement.

Now 22 years old and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the midfielder has earned his first summons to the full Three Lions squad.

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

Next stop? A major tournament?

“Back then, there was no chance of becoming a professional football player, let alone featuring in the top division and playing for the national team too,” the player said previously.

“It’s been a incredible five or six years of my life, and things have changed drastically for me and my loved ones.”

But how did Scott, referred to affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up at this level?

Learning in the lower tiers

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

He spent over four years in the Saints’ youth system from the age of eight, skipping school every Friday to fly from his 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 released him. Bournemouth were willing to offer him an option and he was on the Cherries’ books for a while, but, as he later admitted, his heart was not in it.

Instead, he chose to remain on the island and play for his local team.

“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over weekly was starting to feel overwhelming,” he recalled.

“All I desired to chill at my home with my friends at weekends because I missed almost four and a half years of that experience. To have that slice of youth back was a thing I really needed.

“Building a bit of confidence by returning and playing island football was huge for me. That proved to be probably the most crucial factors that got me to this point.”

When he was just 16, Scott made history as the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he was introduced as a 57th-minute replacement in their league fixture at Phoenix Sports.

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

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

Making a comeback to the pro ranks

Championship side the Robins – owned by islander Steve Lansdown – had been tracking his development after an promising beginning in adult football and arranged a try-out in December 2019.

“It was hectic,” said the player. “The first day I trained with the youth team, the second day I was with the senior squad, which was a complete surprise.

“Midweek I featured for Guernsey FC in London, travelled back and on the Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and netted a three goals. It was almost a done deal for me to sign a contract.”

Within a year and a half, even some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut versus Luton.

He made 83 league outings for the club while still a teenager, often being deployed as a wide defender – and sometimes further forward as a number 10 – demonstrating his versatility and versatility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was their best player.

Thanks to his skill to drive the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he picked up the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and national team playmaker Jack Grealish.

By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he won the EFL Championship’s young player of the season award, was chosen in the league’s best XI and was named the club’s top player and top youngster.

“Without question, I believe he will represent his country and I’m sure he’ll go on to the top of the game,” his former manager, the player’s boss at the club, remarked previously.

Within three months later, he joined Bournemouth for a reported transfer fee of 25 million pounds.

Getting his big move

The midfielder experienced a challenging debut campaign with the Cherries, waiting until October to earn his top-flight debut after a knee problem in the summer, and then being in and out of the team.

His second campaign was just as affected, this time by a surgery which sidelined him for almost four months.

“There was a decent run at the close of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I broke my jaw,” explained Scott.

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

But he was then selected by the national team for the Under-21 European Championships – and succeeded in get himself fit for the tournament.

He started five of the England U21s’ six matches as they claimed victory in the tournament in the host nation, developing a strong partnership in the middle with his teammate, who himself has excelled for the senior side with Thomas Tuchel.

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

“To play for the England senior team would be one of the proudest moments of my life,” Scott stated earlier this season.

“It’s down to me, I’ve got to continue developing as a footballer, keep enjoying football, getting better day on day, and with luck I impress the national coach and get my chance.”