More inspirational than Vardy? Still playing in the eighth level league 6 years ago, the Bournemouth star was selected for the England team for the first time

In 2019, 16-year-old Alex Scott made his first appearance for Guernsey, an English 8th-tier league team, against Phoenix Sports. There were 55 spectators at the scene, and his coach thought at the time that "this boy has greater potential."

Now it seems that the coach’s words are still a bit conservative.

Scott, 22 years old and already a regular midfielder in the Bournemouth Premier League, has just been selected for the England team for the first time.

From a young talent in the Isthmian League One (Southern Division), the eighth tier of England, to a potential international star, this is really a retro story. There are very few such stories in modern football.

Will Scott's next stop be next year's World Cup in the United States, Canada and Mexico?

"At that time, I felt that it was impossible for me to become a professional player. It was unthinkable to play in the Premier League, let alone play for the England team." Scott said in an interview in September.

"The past five or six years have been a crazy time for me, and my family and I have undergone tremendous changes."

So, how did Scott, affectionately known as "Guernsey Grealish", reach the heights he is today?

The young apprentice abandoned by Southampton

Scott’s football path has not been smooth sailing.

From the age of 8, he spent four and a half years in the Southampton youth academy. Every Friday he leaves school early and flies from Guernsey to the south coast of England to train and play for the Saints.

However, when he was about to turn 13, Southampton decided to give up on him. Bournemouth were willing to give Scott a chance, and he briefly played for the Cherries, but by his own admission, he wasn't really committed.

Scott chose a different path - staying in Guernsey and playing for the local team.

"I was not in good condition at the time, and it was really a bit too tiring to fly there to compete every week," he said in an interview in 2023.

"I just want to relax at home with my friends on the weekends. I have missed this kind of time for nearly four and a half years. It is really important for me to have that little bit of childhood again."

"Returning to my hometown to play football can help me regain my confidence, which means a lot to me. Big. This is probably one of the most important reasons why I am today."

At the age of 16, Scott came on as a substitute in the 57th minute of the Isthmian League One South Division match at the Phoenix Sports Stadium, becoming the youngest player in the history of Guernsey to play in the senior team.

"I've been lying awake at night thinking about how I can get him on the team because he's really good," Guernsey head coach Tony Vance said.

"Everyone has seen it now - his ability to control the ball is very good, the way he runs with the ball is also very good, he is a first-class player."

Joined the British Championship team to return to the professional arena

The British Championship team Bristol City (the owner is Guernsey resident Steve Lansdowne) has been paying attention to Scott and gave him a trial opportunity in December 2019.

"It was a complete mess," Scott said. "The first day I was training with the U18s and the next day I was training with the first team, which was completely unexpected."

"I played one game for Guernsey in London on Wednesday and then came back, and on Friday I was training again Playing for Bristol City's U18 team and scoring a hat-trick, for me, signing was almost a sure thing."

Eighteen months later, some time before his 18th birthday, he made his senior debut against Luton Town.

Before the age of 20, Scott made 83 appearances for Bristol City. He often plays as a full-back and sometimes even moves forward as a No. 10 - a testament to his adaptability and versatility. Even at such a young age and playing a position he's not good at, he's still the best player on the team.

He was able to drive the ball forward and liked to wear his socks down to his ankles, earning him the nickname "Guernsey Grealish".

At the end of the 2022-23 season, he won the Championship Young Player of the Season Award, was selected into the Championship Team of the Season, and was named Bristol City Player of the Season and Best Young Player.

"There is no doubt in my mind that he will be selected for the England team and will be one of the best in the sport." In May 2023, Nigel Pearson, Scott's coach at Bristol City, said.

Less than three months later, he joined Bournemouth for a transfer fee of 25 million pounds.

Established a foothold in the Premier League and was selected for the England team

Scott had a difficult first season with the Cherries. Due to a knee injury in the pre-season, he did not make his Premier League debut until October, and then found himself often absent from the team's match list.

His second effort was similarly disrupted, this time due to knee surgery, which sidelined him for nearly four months.

Scott said: "I was in good shape at the end of last season, which felt great, and then I broke my jaw."

"It was another setback, and the first five months of 2025 looked pretty bad."

But he was then called up by England for the U21 European Championships and returned to fitness in time.

He represented the England U18 team in five of the six games, eventually helping the team win the championship in Slovakia. He formed a tacit partnership in midfield with Elliot Anderson, who was later called up to the England squad by Tuchel and performed well.

Scott's performance at Bournemouth this season was equally impressive. He participated in all games and helped the team temporarily rank fifth in the Premier League standings.

"Playing for the England senior team will be one of the proudest moments of my life. "He said earlier this season.

"It's up to me, I have to keep improving, continue to enjoy football, make progress every day and hopefully I can impress the England manager and get a chance. "