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Back when the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his Guernsey debut against Phoenix Sports before a mere 55 spectators in 2019, his coach at the time predicted, “there’s more to come from this boy.”

That prediction turned out to be something of an understatement.

Now 22 years old and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the playmaker has just received his maiden call-up to the full Three Lions team.

His rise from eighth-tier talent to possible international star is a true throwback, a story seldom told in the modern era.

What’s next? A major tournament?

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

“It has been a crazy five or six years of my life, and circumstances have changed drastically for myself and my loved ones.”

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

Developing in the lower tiers

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

He was part of four and a half years in the Saints’ academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early each Friday to travel by air from his island home on the Channel Island to the mainland so he could attend training and play for the Saints’ youth teams.

Prior to his 13th birthday, however, they decided to let him go. The Cherries gave Scott an opportunity and he was on the Cherries’ books for a time, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart was not in it.

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

“I wasn’t playing very well and flying over every week was starting to feel a bit too much,” he recalled.

“I just wanted to relax at home with my friends at the weekend because I missed almost four and a half years of that experience. Getting that slice of youth again was a thing I really required.

“To gain some confidence by coming back and playing island football was massive for me. It was perhaps one of the most important things that got me where I am today.”

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 match at Phoenix Sports.

“I had sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could include him in the team because his talent is obvious,” manager the coach commented back then.

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

Returning to the pro ranks

Second-tier club the Robins – owned by islander Steve Lansdown – had been monitoring Scott’s development after an promising beginning in men’s football and gave him a trial in December 2019.

“It was chaos,” recalled the player. “Day one I trained with the youth team, the next day I was with the senior squad, which was a total shock.

“On the Wednesday I played for his local side in London, travelled back and by Friday, I took the field for Bristol City Under-18s and scored a hat-trick. From that point a done deal for me to sign a contract.”

In just 18 months, still some way short of his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut versus the Hatters.

Scott went on to make 83 league outings for the Robins while in his teens, frequently being deployed as a wing-back – and sometimes further forward as a attacking midfielder – such was his adaptability and versatility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.

With his ability to drive the ball forward, and with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he picked up the nickname ‘Guernsey’s Grealish’, a reference to Manchester City and England playmaker Grealish.

By the conclusion of the 2022-23 season he won the second tier’s best young player award, was chosen in the division’s team of the year and was named the club’s top player and top youngster.

“Without question, I believe he will represent England and I’m sure he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s manager at Ashton Gate, remarked previously.

Less than 90 days after, he signed for the Cherries for a reported transfer fee of 25 million pounds.

Getting his major transfer

The midfielder experienced a challenging first season with the Cherries, having to wait until October to make his top-flight debut after a knee problem in the summer, and then being inconsistent of the team.

His second campaign was just as disrupted, this time by a knee operation which sidelined him for nearly four months.

“There was quite a good run at the close of the previous campaign, which was good to have, then I fractured my jaw,” said Scott.

“It was yet another obstacle and it 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 in time.

He started five of the England U21s’ six games as they claimed victory in the competition in Slovakia, developing a formidable understanding in midfield with his teammate, who in turn has excelled for the senior side with the national coach.

And he has started this season just as impressively for Bournemouth, featuring in every game to guide them to fifth in the table.

“To play for the England senior team would be one of the proudest occasions of my life,” the player said earlier this season.

“The responsibility is mine, I’ve got to continue developing as a player, keep enjoying the game, improving day on day, and with luck I impress the national coach and earn an opportunity.”