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

This prediction proved to be a bit of an underestimation.

Today aged 22 and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the playmaker has just received his maiden summons to the senior Three Lions squad.

His rise from eighth-tier talent to possible England player is a proper blast from the past, a journey seldom seen in the modern game.

Next stop? The World Cup?

“In my mind, there was zero possibility of making it as a professional football player, let alone playing in the Premier League and representing England too,” Scott stated previously.

“It’s been a crazy five or six years of my life, and circumstances have transformed completely for myself and my loved ones.”

So how did Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, find himself at this level?

Developing in non-league

His path in football has been far from a conventional one.

He was part of four and a half years in the Saints’ academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early every Friday to fly from his island home on the Channel Island to the south coast so he could train and play for the club’s academy sides.

Prior to he turned 13, however, they decided to let him go. The Cherries gave Scott an opportunity and he remained with them for a time, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart wasn’t fully committed.

Instead, he chose to remain on the island and play for his hometown club.

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

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

“Building a bit of self-belief by coming back and playing 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, the teenager made history as the most youthful appearance-maker in the club’s records when he was introduced as a second-half substitute 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,” manager the coach stated at the time.

“People have witnessed that – his possession of the ball is exceptional, the way he runs with the ball, he’s a class act.”

Making a comeback to the professional game

Second-tier club the Robins – owned by Guernsey resident Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring his development after an impressive start in adult football and arranged a try-out in late 2019.

“It was hectic,” said the player. “Day one I joined the under-18s, the second day I was with the senior squad, which was a total surprise.

“On the Wednesday I featured for his local side in London, returned home and on the Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and netted a three goals. It was almost a certainty for me to sign a contract.”

In just a year and a half, even well before his 18th birthday, he was making his senior debut against the Hatters.

He made eighty-three league outings for the Robins while still a teenager, often being used as a wing-back – and occasionally in attack as a number 10 – such was 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 forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the moniker ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and England playmaker Jack Grealish.

At the end of the 2022-23 season he claimed the EFL Championship’s best young player award, was selected in the division’s team of the year and was named the club’s player and young player of the Year.

“No doubt, I think he’ll play for England and I think he will progress to the top of the game,” his former manager, Scott’s manager at the club, stated last year.

Less than 90 days later, he signed for Bournemouth for a reported transfer fee of 25 million pounds.

Getting his major transfer

Scott 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 being 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 broke my jaw,” explained he.

“That felt like almost another setback and the year was shaping up as a pretty bad start for the first half.”

But he was then selected by England for the Under-21 European Championships – and managed to get himself fit for the tournament.

He started five of the England U21s’ six matches as they claimed victory in the tournament in Slovakia, developing a formidable understanding in the middle with his teammate, who himself has excelled for the first team under the national coach.

And he has started this season just as strongly for his club, featuring in all matches to help them to the top five in the standings.

“To play for the national team would be one of the proudest occasions of my life,” the player said recently.

“The responsibility is mine, I must keep progressing as a footballer, maintain my love for the game, getting better every day, and hopefully I catch the eye of the national coach and get my chance.”