How difficult is it for Channel Island footballers to become professionals?

The academy stage is the most difficult for the players and their families.

Children traveling to England every week from the Channel Islands with a parent is expensive, time-consuming and, when the winter weather sets in, unpredictable – not to mention difficult for families who spend little time together.

But that’s what Le Tissier and Scott did every week as they tried to find success in English football.

“When I was growing up, we would fly together every weekend,” Scott says.

“Every weekend, we and one of our parents were flying overhead, and it took a lot, especially for our parents.

“The amount of money they were paying and the amount of dedication they put into making us dream of becoming footballers.

“It’s a credit to them and we’re happy that we’re playing at the highest level. She’s traveling to Manchester United and the Lionesses as well, and I couldn’t be prouder of her.”

Manchester United captain and England defender Le Tissier was so good as a teenager that she became the first girl to play in an under-16 boys’ inter-island match between Guernsey and Jersey.

She left to join Brighton’s academy and became a solid player in the Women’s Super League side before moving to United in 2022 and knows her family is the reason she is here today.

“We had to be pretty flexible and not have a lot of opportunities to try to create our own, which we did,” she says.

“Obviously this is done with the help of our coaches back home and friends and family as well, they have been very supportive and we certainly couldn’t have done it without them.

“The most we can give back is to be a role model and show that they can also do it themselves from back in Guernsey, and we thank our families for their huge support.”