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When Alex Scott made his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 fans in 2019, his coach back then assured, “there’s more to come from this boy.”

That statement proved to be a bit of an underestimation.

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

His ascent from non-league prodigy to possible England player is a proper throwback, a journey rarely seen in the modern era.

Next stop? The World Cup?

“In my mind, there was zero possibility of making it as a professional football player, never mind featuring in the top division and playing for England as well,” the player stated in a recent interview.

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

But in what way did Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Grealish from Guernsey’, find himself here?

Developing in the lower tiers

His football journey has not been a typical one.

He was part of four and a half years in Southampton’s academy setup starting at eight, skipping school every Friday to travel by air from his home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could attend training and play for the Saints’ youth teams.

Before he turned 13, however, they released him. The Cherries were willing to offer Scott an option and he remained with them for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his mind wasn’t fully committed.

Rather, he chose to remain on the island and turn out for his local team.

“My form had dipped and traveling weekly was becoming a bit too much,” he recalled.

“I just wanted to relax at home with my mates at the weekend because I missed almost several years of doing that. To have that little bit of childhood back was a thing I really required.

“Building some confidence by returning and taking part in island football was massive for me. That proved to be probably one of the most important factors that led me where I am today.”

When he was just 16, the teenager became the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he came on 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 get him in the team because he’s that good,” manager Tony Vance commented at the time.

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

Making a comeback to the pro ranks

Second-tier club the Robins – owned by islander their owner – had been tracking Scott’s early progress after an impressive beginning in men’s football and gave him a try-out in late 2019.

“The whole experience was chaos,” said the player. “Day one I trained with the under-18s, the next day I trained with the senior squad, which was a complete shock.

“Midweek I played for Guernsey FC in the capital, travelled back and on the Friday, I played for the youth team and scored a hat-trick. It was almost a certainty for me to put pen to paper on a contract.”

Within a year and a half, even well before his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut versus Luton.

He made 83 league outings for the club while in his teens, often being used as a wide defender – and sometimes in attack as a attacking midfielder – demonstrating his versatility and versatility. Even at that young age and playing out of position he was their best player.

Thanks to his skill to carry the ball forward, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and national team playmaker Jack Grealish.

By the conclusion of the 2022-23 campaign he won the second tier’s young player of the season award, was chosen in the league’s best XI and was named the club’s player and young player of the Year.

“Without question, I believe he’ll play for his country and I’m sure he’ll go on to the top of the game,” his former manager, the player’s manager at Ashton Gate, stated previously.

Less than three months later, he joined Bournemouth for a understood fee of £25m.

Getting his major transfer

Scott experienced a difficult debut campaign with the Cherries, having to wait until the autumn to earn his top-flight debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then finding himself in and out of the team.

His second campaign was just as disrupted, this time by a surgery which ruled him out for nearly four months.

“I had a decent run at the close of the previous campaign, which was nice to have, then I fractured my jaw,” said he.

“That felt like yet another obstacle and the year was turning out to be a pretty bad start for the first five months.”

But he was then selected by the national team for the U21 Euros – and succeeded in get himself fit in time.

He started five of the England U21s’ six games as they went on to win the competition in the host nation, developing a strong partnership in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who himself has excelled for the senior side under the national coach.

And he has begun the current campaign equally as impressively for his club, playing in every game to help them to the top five in the standings.

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

“It’s down to me, I’ve got to continue developing as a player, maintain my love for the game, getting better every day, and with luck I catch the eye of the England manager and get my chance.”