Alex Scott: Who is the Bournemouth and England star?

Championship side Bristol City – owned by Guernsey-based Steve Lansdowne – had been tracking Scott’s early progress after an impressive start in senior football and gave him a trial in December 2019.

“It was chaos,” Scott said. “The first day I trained with the under-18 team, and the second day I trained with the first team, which was a complete shock.

“On the Wednesday I played for Guernsey in London, I flew back and on the Friday, I played for Bristol City Under-18s and scored a hat-trick. Signing the contract was almost a done deal for me.”

Within 18 months, and just before his 18th birthday, he made his first-team debut against Luton.

Scott made 83 league appearances for the Robins while still a teenager, and was often used as a wing-back – and occasionally forward as a number 10 – such was his adaptability and versatility. Even at that young age and playing out of position he was their best player.

Thanks to his ability to carry the ball forward, with his socks rolled down to his ankles, he earned the nickname “Grealish’s Guernsey”, in reference to Manchester City and England midfielder Jack Grealish.

At the end of the 2022-23 season, he won the EFL Championship Young Player of the Year award, was named in the Divisional Team of the Year and was named Bristol City Young Player of the Year.

Nigel Pearson, Scott’s manager at Ashton Gate, told BBC Radio Bristol in May 2023: “There’s no doubt about it. I think he’ll play for England and I think he’ll reach the top of the game.”

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