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When the young midfielder stepped onto the pitch for his local team debut against Phoenix Sports in front of just 55 spectators in 2019, his manager at the time predicted, “there’s more to come from this boy.”

This prediction turned out to be something of an underestimation.

Today 22 years old and a Premier League regular with the Cherries, the midfielder has earned his maiden summons to the senior England team.

His rise from eighth-tier talent to potential England player is a proper throwback, a journey rarely seen in the modern game.

What’s next? A major tournament?

“Back then, there was no chance of becoming a pro footballer, let alone playing in the Premier League and representing England too,” Scott said in a recent interview.

“It has been a incredible five or six years of my life, and circumstances have changed completely for me and my family.”

So in what way did Alex Scott, referred to fondly as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up at this level?

Learning in non-league

His football journey has not been a typical one.

He spent over four years in the Saints’ academy setup from the age of eight, leaving school early each Friday to travel by air from his island home on Guernsey to the south coast so he could train and feature for the Saints’ youth teams.

Prior to his 13th birthday, though, they decided to let him go. Bournemouth gave him an opportunity and he was on the Cherries’ books for a time, but, as he later admitted, his mind wasn’t fully committed.

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

“My form had dipped and flying over every week was starting to feel a bit too much,” he recalled.

“I just wanted to chill at my home with my mates at weekends because I missed nearly four and a half years of that experience. To have that slice of childhood again was something I really needed.

“Building a bit of self-belief by coming back and taking part in local football was huge for me. It was perhaps the most crucial things that led me where I am today.”

At the age of 16, Scott became the youngest player in Guernsey’s history when he came on as a 57th-minute replacement in their Isthmian League fixture at Phoenix Sports.

“I’ve been having sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could get him in the side because he’s that good,” Guernsey boss Tony Vance commented back then.

“Everyone’s now seen that – his possession of the ball is exceptional, the way he runs with the ball, he’s pure quality.”

Making a comeback to the professional game

Second-tier club the Robins – owned by Guernsey resident their owner – had been tracking his early progress after an impressive start in men’s football and arranged a trial in December 2019.

“The whole experience was chaos,” recalled the player. “The first day I trained with the under-18s, the second day I was with the first team, which was a total shock.

“Midweek I featured 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. It was almost a certainty for me to sign a deal.”

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

Scott made eighty-three league appearances for the Robins while in his teens, often being used as a wide defender – and occasionally in attack as a number 10 – demonstrating his adaptability and flexibility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was the standout performer.

Thanks to his ability to drive the ball up the pitch, and with his socks down to his ankles, he earned the moniker ‘the Guernsey Grealish’, a nod to Manchester City and England playmaker Grealish.

At the end of the 2022-23 season he claimed the EFL Championship’s best young player award, was chosen in the league’s team of the year and was named Bristol City’s top player and top youngster.

“No doubt, I think he’ll play for England and I’m sure he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the game,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s boss at the club, remarked last year.

Less than 90 days later, he joined Bournemouth for a understood transfer fee of £25m.

Securing his major transfer

The midfielder endured a challenging debut campaign with the club, waiting until the autumn to earn his top-flight debut after a knee problem in pre-season, and then finding himself in and out of the starting XI.

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

“There was a decent run at the end of last season, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” said he.

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

But he was then called up by England for the Under-21 European Championships – and succeeded in get himself fit for the tournament.

He started five of the Young Lions’ six matches as they went on to win the competition in Slovakia, forming a formidable partnership in midfield with his teammate, who himself has gone on to impress for the first team with the national coach.

And he has begun this season just as impressively for Bournemouth, playing in every game to guide them to fifth in the standings.

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

“It’s down to me, I’ve got to continue developing as a footballer, keep enjoying the game, improving every day, and with luck I catch the eye of the England manager and earn an opportunity.”