BRISTOL City star Alex Scott has opened up on his Saints academy release, admitting: “We sacrificed so much, which made it really hard to take.”

The 19-year-old England youth international is set to make his 50th Championship appearance for the Robins despite enjoying his birthday just two weeks ago.

A UEFA Under-19 European Championship winner with the Young Lions, versatile midfielder Scott is among a trio of City youngsters considered to be the most promising talent in the second division.

But he could have been a Saints player coming through the B team and into Ralph Hasenhuttl’s squad, had a few things been different for the Guernsey-based baller.

“Southampton wanted me on trial after a summer camp when I was eight-years-old. It was a bit mad being so young,” Scott told The Secret Scout.

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“From there I was at Southampton for four-and-a-half years. We were flying over every weekend – we had to do it.

“It was me and either my dad or my mum who’d have to fly over every weekend. The club paid for the hotel that we stayed in every weekend and my parents paid for the flight.”

He continued: “I was 12 when I got released from Southampton. It’s quite draining. You want to get back in and go to another academy and mentally you think that I’m not good enough for this.

“It was tough on my parents as well, having to pay for flights each week for four years. We sacrificed so much as a family to make it work which made it really hard to take when I wasn’t offered a contract.

“Straight after it I went to Bournemouth and was there for a year. They wanted me to sign a contract with them but I didn’t want to really, I just wanted to stay at home.”

Taking a 45 minute flight every day just to get to the club comes with the additional baggage associated social reclusion.

“I’d grown up not seeing my friends at all,” he continued. “Every weekend I was flying and staying in a hotel with my mum or my dad. I just wanted to get home and play local football!

“I’d be in Guernsey for the whole week and then I’d do a half-day of school on Friday, fly over that night and either train Friday night or Saturday morning, depending on what age group it was. I’d fly straight back after that game.

“Some weeks I would only get 20 minutes and having to do all that traveling with the sacrifices my parents made wasn’t fair. I wasn’t enjoying it.

"At that point I thought that I was going to have to do something else. As soon as you come out of that environment, being from Guernsey, it’s hard to get back into it.”

Scott enjoyed a summer playing alongside some Saints targets in England’s tournament-winning under-19 group, scoring with his first touch of the semi-final versus Italy.

England beat Austria, Serbia and Israel without conceding in their group stage, before defeating Italy from behind and Israel after extra-time in the semi-finals and finals.

“That final was weird,” Scott reflected. “We were confident going into it and were very relaxed before the game. That first half was a pop sesh!

“I feel like people didn’t give them enough credit back home but we knew the whole time that they were a top side.

“We played them in the group and they sat off us a bit so people thought that it might be easy in the final! Israel were at it. Thankfully we came away with the win.

“I don’t think I’ve properly deeped winning the Euros. Four or five years ago I was watching Phil Foden win it and now we’ve done it!”

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