This kid is something else: Alex Scott’s rise to England call-up

Published: 12 November 2025. The English Chronicle Desk. The English Chronicle Online

Alex Scott made his Guernsey FC debut as a second-half substitute, wearing an adult shirt that flapped around his 16-year-old frame like a bedsheet. The opposition’s central midfielder, with tattoos running up his neck and a steely glint in his eye, welcomed Scott to non-league football with a shove. But before the challenge could land, Scott had already swivelled and taken the ball somewhere else, leaving his opponent grasping at air.

This moment, seemingly innocuous, revealed the remarkable talent and composure that would define Scott’s rapid rise through the footballing ranks. His gift lay in receiving the ball in tight spaces, maintaining control, and moving fluidly past opponents, often making seasoned men look out of their depth. While other players his age were developing on manicured academy pitches, Scott was learning the brutal realities of the Isthmian League South East—the eighth tier of English men’s football—where midfield battles were essentially survival tests against elbows, studs, and raw physicality.

Tony Vance, Guernsey FC manager, watched Scott grow from a precocious five-year-old into a player capable of competing against men. “He could smell danger and thrive in it,” Vance recalls. That early exposure to adult football, Vance believes, was instrumental in Scott’s development, giving him a tactical awareness and resilience that would set him apart when he eventually moved to Bristol City’s academy.

At Bristol City, Scott’s talent continued to flourish. Pep Guardiola famously described him as “unbelievable” after an FA Cup match, and the young midfielder went on to impress at Bournemouth in the Premier League. Now, at 22, Scott has earned his first senior England call-up, completing a journey that began in the streets and local pitches of Guernsey.

“It was definitely important for me to get that chance at 16,” Scott says. “It helped massively when I first went to Bristol City because a lot of them had not played men’s football. I think I had that advantage over them … I was probably a bit behind on the technical stuff but it helped massively when I went into the first team because I’d played against men much bigger, stronger, and faster than me before, so I knew ways to deal with it. I’d urge young players now to get out on loan as soon as they can to learn and understand the real world of playing men’s football.”

Scott is also part of a rare footballing family achievement. His step-sister, Maya Le Tissier—a Manchester United centre-back—debuted for the Lionesses in 2022, becoming the first English player from Guernsey to participate in a major tournament. Now Scott has the chance to mirror that achievement with the men’s squad at next year’s World Cup.

From a young age, Scott’s promise was evident. Playing on the streets of his quiet Guernsey housing estate alongside his older brother Callum, he already stood out by age five. Darren Le Tissier, Maya’s father and a semi-professional footballer himself, remembers watching Scott and thinking, “This kid is something else.” Despite being almost two years younger than other boys in training sessions, Scott consistently ran rings around his peers.

Scott’s early development was defined by tenacity and intelligence. “He quickly realised, like Maya later did, that you need to look after yourself—get the ball and move it quickly—because if you linger, you’re going to get clattered,” recalls Le Tissier. His ability to adapt to a physically demanding environment gave him an edge that would carry him through youth and professional football.

However, the path was not without obstacles. Between ages eight and twelve, Scott and his half-sister would travel to the mainland on Friday afternoons to attend Southampton’s academy sessions, returning on Sundays. The exhausting routine placed a significant strain on the family, yet Scott persevered. When Southampton released him at age 13, citing concerns over his size, he was devastated. “It felt like four years of my life had been committed and then it was blown away,” Scott recalls.

That setback could have derailed his ambitions. Struggling through trials in northern England, Scott returned home in tears. “I told him to take the summer off, forget football, and enjoy life,” says Le Tissier. Time away proved regenerative, and Scott quickly regained his spark playing for St Martins, Maya’s old club.

Guernsey FC welcomed Scott into the men’s squad, integrating him seamlessly into adult football. His confidence soared, and his debut performance at 16 left teammates insisting he start every match. Soon after, a trial at Bristol City led to a hat-trick on his first outing—sealing his move to the Championship side.

Since then, Scott’s rise has been meteoric. Despite occasional injuries, he has excelled at every level. He played a pivotal role in England’s Under-19 European Championship victory in 2022 and in this summer’s Under-21 European Championship, forming a formidable midfield partnership with Nottingham Forest’s Elliot Anderson. That duo may be reunited in the senior squad this week.

Scott attributes much of his mentality to his upbringing on the island. “It’s the islanders’ mentality—fearless. It’s hard to get to the mainland and play, so we take our opportunities when they come,” he explains. His journey underscores the unique challenges and advantages of footballing development on a small island of 60,000 residents. While limited infrastructure can hinder access to elite academies, the close-knit environment allows talented individuals to be nurtured carefully and integrated into adult football early.

Guernsey manager Tony Vance reflects on the duality of this system: “It’s our biggest hindrance because young players can miss out on academy development, but it’s also our biggest protection because nobody outside the island knows what they’re like. We can look after them and then introduce them into men’s football to build confidence and resilience.”

Scott has graduated from this nurturing yet demanding environment to the Premier League, signing for Bournemouth in a £25 million transfer. Now, he is a regular starter, gliding through top-flight midfields and combining technical skill with relentless work rate. His ability to win the ball back, drive transitions, and influence games has made him one of the league’s most promising young midfielders.

Ahead of England’s upcoming squad announcement for the World Cup, Scott’s inclusion reflects both his talent and his determination to overcome adversity. Thomas Tuchel, speaking earlier this week, praised him: “He deserves his chance. What a journey—from non-league to the Premier League and now to the international stage. This is a player who has worked relentlessly to earn this opportunity.”

For Scott, the journey from a 16-year-old in an oversized shirt on the fields of Guernsey to the senior England squad embodies resilience, talent, and timing. Six years on from that debut in non-league football, Scott’s rise demonstrates the importance of seizing opportunities, adapting to challenges, and thriving in both physical and technical arenas. As he prepares to pull on the England shirt, it is clear that the lessons learned in Guernsey—courage, tenacity, and skill under pressure—will continue to guide him on the world stage.

From street football to the Premier League and now the international arena, Scott’s story is a testament to what determination, guidance, and raw talent can achieve. For young players in Guernsey and beyond, he serves as a shining example of how to make the leap from local pitches to football’s grandest stages. And for England fans, the long-awaited debut of Alex Scott promises an exciting addition to a squad brimming with potential and ambition.