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Back when the young midfielder made his local team debut against Phoenix Sports in front of a mere 55 fans in 2019, his manager at the time assured, “we haven’t seen the best from this youngster.”

That prediction turned out to be a bit of an understatement.

Today 22 years old and an established top-flight player with the Cherries, the midfielder has earned his first call-up to the senior Three Lions squad.

His rise from non-league prodigy to potential international star is a proper blast from the past, a journey rarely seen in the modern game.

Next stop? A major tournament?

“Back then, there was no chance of becoming a pro footballer, never mind playing in the Premier League and representing England as well,” Scott said previously.

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

So in what way did Alex Scott, known affectionately as the ‘Guernsey Grealish’, end up here?

Learning in non-league

His football journey has not been a typical one.

He was part of over four years in Southampton’s academy setup starting at eight, leaving school early every Friday to travel by air from his island home on Guernsey to the mainland so he could train and play for the club’s academy sides.

Before he turned 13, however, they released him. The Cherries were willing to offer him an opportunity and he remained with them for a while, but, by the player’s own admission, his heart was not in it.

Rather, he chose to remain on Guernsey 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 explained.

“I just wanted to chill at home with my friends at the weekend because I had missed nearly several years of that experience. Getting that slice of youth back was something I definitely required.

“To gain some confidence by coming back and playing local football was huge for me. It was probably one of the most important things that got 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 came on as a 57th-minute substitute in their Isthmian League match at Phoenix Sports.

“I had sleepless nights because I was figuring out how I could include 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 outstanding, the manner he runs with the ball, he’s a class act.”

Returning to the pro ranks

Second-tier club Bristol City – chaired by Guernsey resident their owner – had been tracking Scott’s development after an promising beginning in men’s football and arranged a trial in late 2019.

“The whole experience was hectic,” recalled Scott. “Day one I trained with the under-18s, the second day I trained with the senior squad, which was a complete surprise.

“Midweek I played for Guernsey FC in the capital, returned home and by Friday, I played for the youth team and netted a hat-trick. It was almost a done deal for me to put pen to paper on a contract.”

In just 18 months, even well before his 18th birthday, he was making his first-team debut against the Hatters.

He went on to make 83 league outings for the Robins while still a teenager, often being deployed as a wing-back – and sometimes in attack as a number 10 – demonstrating his adaptability and versatility. Despite his youth and not in his natural role he was their best player.

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

At the end of the 2022-23 season he claimed the EFL Championship’s young player of the season award, was chosen in the division’s best XI and was named Bristol City’s player and young player of the Year.

“No doubt, I believe he’ll play for England and I’m sure he’ll go on to the pinnacle of the sport,” Nigel Pearson, the player’s boss at Ashton Gate, stated last year.

Within three months after, he signed for the Cherries for a reported transfer fee of 25 million pounds.

Securing his major transfer

The midfielder experienced a challenging first season with the club, having to wait until October to make his top-flight debut after a knee injury in pre-season, and then being inconsistent of the starting XI.

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

“I had quite a good run at the close of last season, which was good to have, then I broke my jaw,” said Scott.

“It was almost another obstacle and it was turning out to be a pretty bad year for the first half.”

But he was then called up by England for the Under-21 European Championships – and managed to regain fitness for the tournament.

He went on to start five of the England U21s’ six games as they claimed victory in the tournament in the host nation, forming a formidable partnership in the middle with his teammate, who himself has excelled for the first team under Thomas Tuchel.

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

“Representing the England senior team would be one of the proudest moments of my life,” the player said recently.

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