Alex Scott, the stepbrother of Manchester United’s Maya Le Tissier, has spoken about their Channel Island childhoods as they both dreamt of becoming footballers.
The pair grew up in Guernsey, becoming step-siblings through the relationship between Scott’s father and Le Tissier’s mother.
And Scott – who plays in the Premier League for Bournemouth and who has just been called up to the England men’s squad for the first time – said that he and his stepsister are “very close – we speak most days.”
He added: “I couldn’t be prouder of her.”
Maya Le Tissier and Alex Scott: fearless
Scott also spoke about the qualities that footballers from the Channel Islands have – including him and his stepsister, who has proved a versatile player when called upon by Lionesses head coach Sarina Wiegman.
“For me, it just means we are fearless,” he said. “I think when we get an opportunity…because they’re tough to come by back home, it’s tough to get to the mainland, I feel like we take them when they come around.”
The stepsiblings’ travel from Guernsey
Le Tissier began playing football as a tot in a boys’ team coached by her father.
However, there were no girls’ representative teams on the island, meaning that she had to fly over to the mainland to play for Hampshire’s county team. She then joined Brighton and Hove Albion’s academy when she turned 16.
Scott reminisced to journalists about the amount of travelling they both did as teenagers.
“Growing up, we would fly over every weekend together,” he said, explaining that they would usually travel on a Friday, stay in a hotel, and then return on the Sunday evening.
“She’d have her games, for Hampshire, and I’d be playing for Southampton as a kid.
“Every weekend, one of our parents and ourselves were flying over. It took a lot, especially for our parents, the amount of money they were paying and the amount of dedication they put in too for us to dream to be footballers. It’s a credit to them.
“We’re just happy now we’re both playing at the top level. Obviously she’s flying for Man United and for the Lionesses as well, so I can be proud of her as well.”
